# Sticky  Today's Pic or Story



## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

This morning's fatbike commute :thumbsup: Tonight it was snowing really hard, 3" by the time I got home.


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## thekarens (Sep 26, 2012)

BRRRRR, looks fun!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Dang! I was hoping the women of mtbr would add some pix or stories. :thumbsup::yesnod:


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

I'll play! We had two days of gorgeous weather in the NE and I was lucky enough to have them off from work (I worked through the weekend). I took full advantage :thumbsup:


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## thekarens (Sep 26, 2012)

It's still shorts weather here. I'm still a total noob so the pic isn't very exciting.

From this weekend's ride








Sent from my Galaxy S3


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Looks like a beautiful place for a ride. Thanks for sharing!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

petey15 said:


> I'll play! We had two days of gorgeous weather in the NE and I was lucky enough to have them off from work (I worked through the weekend). I took full advantage :thumbsup:


Woohoo!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha, I keep trying to justify a fatbike. Still can't but if I lived somewhere like that, I'd definitely get one. I only get tons-o-rain with my daily commute.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

My big story is riding the last three weekends in a row. This is kind of a big deal for me: I got really, really, really burnt out and had a couple of situations that really fizzled my passion for a while. I hardly rode my mountain bike for almost a year. The fall riding has been fabulous with damp trails but sunshine. Only the "hardcore" riders are out as there is a chill in the air. I've gone back to the trail system I burned out on: I spent waaaay too much of myself on an advocacy project, and it's been lovely to see the new activity and things moving on.... without me. So I've been riding the new trails,and they are great. If we don't get snow soon (ski season) I'm going to keep on doing it.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Sounds like you're finding some "balance" :thumbsup:

gmats, Aloha. Don't you have beaches there? Fatbikes are most awesome on sand!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^
> gmats, Aloha. Don't you have beaches there? Fatbikes are most awesome on sand!


Yeah, we have beaches here and people even sell "sandbikes" here. Just seems like an expensive luxury (I haven't been able to justify it here yet) for a limited use bike. We will see.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

gmats said:


> Aloha, I keep trying to justify a fatbike. Still can't but if I lived somewhere like that, I'd definitely get one. I only get tons-o-rain with my daily commute.


So old, but funny story about Hawaii's rain. About 2 years ago I was riding home from work- about a 13 mile ride one way and it starts pouring with about 4-5 miles home. So after about 5 minutes of getting drenched I'm getting pretty cold (I know- it's Hawaii) and then the thunder and lightening starts. This is actually a pretty rare event in Hawaii... So I pick up the pace only to discover my power is out. Unfortunately for me I used a key pad to get in through the garage. After about 30 minutes of avoiding sideways rain and sitting out the worst lightening storm in my 5 years on the island, I relent and call a locksmith. But the roads are flooded and he's stuck in rush hour traffic. Finally after 2 hours huddled on my porch the power comes back on beating the locksmith.... moral of the story- always carry a house key!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weather is getting cooler but riding doesn't stop.









Trail was still tacky so tires were grippy









Logs were too slippery to ride so I walked


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

Meh!!! my camera is broken. Maybe i can drag out a recent photo, hold up...

ok, lovely day in NH









and hey, what the heck, a video!


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

Excellent thread. I haven't been on the bike in a week^W month...keep 'em coming!

gabrielle


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## Cpi-2012 (Feb 6, 2012)

Looking so fantastic bike and wonderful picture !!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

4th or 5th weekend in a row! The climb to the top here is the perfect workout, and then way fun down on twisty fun single track. The temp at the house in the shade was 31 but the sun felt so good! I am so happy to be back on my mtb


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## Lucyvet (Feb 18, 2011)

I'm a bit of a lurker, so hope it is ok to jump in! I love seeing everyone's photos so wanted to join in 

From my last ride a few days ago:


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Oh yes, more than OK. Welcome and thanks for sharing, Lucy, that looks like a nice trail. 

Loving everyone's contributions here. :thumbsup:


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

just rode mah bike. thats all  Hey Petey, nice bike :thumbsup:


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

and more. me and the dog today in northern Mass.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Hey Nicole, yours too!  I'm actually diggin' the orange on your bike; do you have plans to add any more? I got out for a spin as well. Who says the season needs to end?


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

cant think of any more, other than crazy blinging out the wheels, but my current wheels are good, so that would just be for flash only! too bad giant has that wierd stem. cant go orange with that (yet)


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ I know, half the fun is customizing your rig


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## Lucyvet (Feb 18, 2011)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^ Oh yes, more than OK. Welcome and thanks for sharing, Lucy, that looks like a nice trail.


Thanks! I'm looking forward to joining in more 

I love your dog, Nicole - I hope to have a trail dog one day!


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## PixieChik (Jul 10, 2010)

NicoleB28 said:


> Meh!!! my camera is broken. Maybe i can drag out a recent photo, hold up...
> 
> ok, lovely day in NH
> 
> ...


I love the way the bike seems to be peeking out from behind a tree.


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## Christieland (Mar 12, 2012)

Bike had to teach me a lesson on Saturday (how quickly I forget basic skills when away from the bike for a while).

And, a view from the ride. Near Calistoga, CA.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Yikes, time for a new helmet! 

With deer season over, I got out on some local snowmobile trails yesterday that I had been avoiding by landowner request. Still ran into a couple of armed men, though, as it is still bird season. They were friendly and we wore orange.


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## wallstreet (Jul 27, 2012)

Christieland said:


> Bike had to teach me a lesson on Saturday (how quickly I forget basic skills when away from the bike for a while).
> 
> And, a view from the ride. Near Calistoga, CA.


Ouch!

You all seem to have great weather, here's me (invisible under the snow with x4 snowmen melting in the seats)


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha! Keep 'um coming. Love the pictures and the "one liner" stories. I'm done here for the year, headed to Michigan for the holidays for some "family time". You guys have fun and be safe.


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## Lucyvet (Feb 18, 2011)

The picture is from a few weeks ago, but this is where I rode today. 1200ft of climbing and it was cooooold at the top!!


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Lucyvet said:


> The picture is from a few weeks ago, but this is where I rode today. 1200ft of climbing and it was cooooold at the top!!


Nice! Where is this? Reminds me of the summit of Hunter Mtn. in the Catskills with the fire tower..don't know if you've ever climbed up one of those, but it's pretty freaky!


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## Lucyvet (Feb 18, 2011)

Trailrider92 said:


> Nice! Where is this? Reminds me of the summit of Hunter Mtn. in the Catskills with the fire tower..don't know if you've ever climbed up one of those, but it's pretty freaky!


Hi! It's Mt. Beacon, about 60 miles south of Hunter Mtn. I've never ridden in the Catskills but I definitely want to explore up there in the spring


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We did a Christmas Eve ride on local trails and then through the neighbourhood, .

After a good trail ride we relaxed by the fire









Days are short, gets dark sooner









Checked out the Christmas lights... this house was the winner


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Looks like a lot of fun! Merry Christmas to all! It's a beautiful snowy one here.


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## wallstreet (Jul 27, 2012)

cyclelicious said:


> We did a Christmas Eve ride on local trails and then through the neighbourhood, .
> 
> After a good trail ride we relaxed by the fire
> 
> ...


The neighbours DITTO was pure class! Beautiful. I hope the next neighbour puts up - 'cant keep up with the Jonses!'


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

wallstreet said:


> The neighbours DITTO was pure class! Beautiful. I hope the next neighbour puts up - 'cant keep up with the Jonses!'


lol you noticed! the neighbours have a good sense of humour


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

*My xmas ride*

So I haven't been on my bike in about a week and a half, but still getting out in the mountains...


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

Went out to ride Brown's Camp (Tillamook Forest, OR) yesterday and found a foot of snow in the parking lot. Skunked!

So we went to LL Stub Stewart and checked out the trailbuilding efforts of the local mtb club. Kinda icy in spots, but good stuff. Even rode the beginner freeride line.

Everybody else bailed on the ride, so it was just me & my sweetie. Which meant a lot of makeout breaks. Proving once again that nothing has changed since I was 14: all I want to do is ride my bike and chase boys.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

0F when I left work and -7F by the time I biked home. :crazy:


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Well, since the ground is covered by about 2 feet of snow, and there's no place around here (that I'm aware of) where there is any packed trail..today's "riding" consisted of practicing track stands in the living room. 

I think tmo will be the day I see if riding in this white stuff is even possible. I'm getting some serious cabin fever.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Wasn't expecting to ride snow in the desert after I got back from my ski trip.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

snow riding!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Jealous!! We have too much snow around here...but this week looks like a lot will melt off. I got out on my xc skis for the first time in like 2 years. Have fun, Nicole!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

i had to head out near the MA coast to get snow this shallow. however, seems that some of my local trails are just starting to pack down enough to ride.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

A real winter this time!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> A real winter this time!


So jealous!! Next year, I'm getting one of those. I miss being out on the bike. With the thaw that is happening now, I'm hoping to get back out on the bike this weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

i just get a poop-eating grin every time i look (or sit on) a fat bike! So much fun


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

petey15 said:


> So jealous!! Next year, I'm getting one of those. I miss being out on the bike. With the thaw that is happening now, I'm hoping to get back out on the bike this weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed


Oh yes, the fatbike is a must have if you have snomobile trails! And it looks like a real January thaw this winter too. Have fun and watch out for ice patches if there are any left by then.  If we get a good freeze afterward, a regular MTB will work on the snomo trails as well, especially if you have studded tires.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

For the love of winter - fatbike singletrack at 10F!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

so many freezes and thaws in the northeast. Still, this is my first winter riding and i'm so happy to get out! we have some easy trails very close to my house that are good for night and winter cruises with friends. Lately the canal and ponds have been frozen so navigating them on studs has been fun.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Looks fun out there. Hope some snow survives this rain.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weather here in southern Ontario has been variable. The window of opportunity for ice biking is narrow so we had to jump at the chance following a period of deep freeze temps. For this ride the ice was several inches thick and this made riding ideal























































I love the sights and sounds of the ice. Note in some of the pics, the paw prints of critters using the frozen river as a highway!


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## oldbroad (Mar 19, 2004)

NicoleB28 said:


>


Russell Mill?


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Awesome thread! I love all the photos and stories of everyone out riding in the cold and the snow! We've had such a mild winter and have ridden some awesome (new to us) trails in the last two months (of course the tradeoff is awful snowboarding conditions - we've only been out once this season). We might be in Sedona/Flagstaff this weekend (boyfriend is buying a FS bike in Flag - good excuse to get in some rides), so I'll post up a pic or two next week.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

oldbroad said:


> Russell Mill?


yes!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

More perfect conditions for ice biking

4 riders head out









Some slushy sections but the river is frozen thick









Studded tires are handy for those slick spots









Took a rest









Built a fire









Warmed up. Saddle up









Look up in that tree









shhhhh! they're sleeping









Posing by the old bridge









Great day...time to head back









Big push up


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Due to slightly warmer temps here in upstate NY, I was able to hit the trails the last three days in a row! Couldn't believe how great it felt to be out riding again. We had a group of 8 go out and tear up the trails around our college..can't wait for better weather and more riding. 

This picture was taken at "Strawberry Fields" behind Hartwick college in Oneonta.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Great pic! I'm from Ithaca, and I hear ya, I cannot WAIT for better weather to arrive so I can properly hit the trails again.


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

petey15 said:


> Great pic! I'm from Ithaca, and I hear ya, I cannot WAIT for better weather to arrive so I can properly hit the trails again.


Thanks! I'm hoping come spring I get the chance to head up that way and ride Shindagin Hollow. I'm originally from Binghamton so it's not too bad of a drive from there. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of Oneonta you should definitely check out the trails; we have about 40 miles of trail currently with plans to build more.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

You'll definitely have to do that - check us out in Cycle-CNY. We have group rides there a few times/week during the season. Small world - I'm originally from Bingo, too!


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Sunny and mid-30's today..didn't do much to melt the couple inches of fresh powder, which made riding difficult but oh-so fun.  Did about 8 miles, but it seemed much longer considering we had to break trail. 

Here's a view from TableRock up behind Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. Looking down you can see the snow is mostly melted in the valley..not quite warm enough to melt it up in the hills just yet.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

*Spring Fever!*

With temps in the 50's and friends willing to ride, how could I not say no? Even though it was a road ride, at least it was on dirt. No trails were harmed or rutted during the making of this album. I can't say the same for the road 

First pic is Merlin beside a tree marking where a Bald Eagle's nest can be spied across the river. This was taken near the end of the ride.

The next are my friends taking a break, giving me a photo op with their muddy bikes.

Next is myself and friend showing off our matching "skid marks".

The next pic was taken after we decided to use the lake overflow runoff to wash our muddy bikes. Worked great!

And lastly, a very clean Merlin! He was towel-dried and re-lubed after the photo was taken.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

*April Fun!*

Finally the northeast saw sun, mild temperatures and dry trails (at least where I rode- an hour's drive from home). My bike and camera were all the company I needed today!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Got out again today, this time with some friends. I took the opportunity to get some action shots of someone besides myself.

The first is my friend, Ray, demonstrating to his wife, Betty that it's all about momentum. The second shot is Betty, on her third attempt. She just started really riding trails last year and broke some ribs on another log pile last fall. Unfortunately I missed her first successful crossing. You can probably tell she's a little far forward and her front wheel is turned...I call this shot "Legend of the Fall".
The third shot I give "two bums up"  and the fourth is her asking if I caught all that on my camera; she's a great sport and didn't break this time :thumbsup:


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

spent all weekend riding! 30 miles or so. i've got more pics comin, but so far...


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Nice shot, Nicole! Where are you riding - those rollers look like fun!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

Chelmsford MA


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Been out the last three days in a row. Friday and Saturday rode up here in Oneonta..the trails are a little muddy but starting to dry out. Worked on a particularly techy/loose descent..practicing for an enduro I'm considering doing this summer!  

Some snow still on the north facing slopes but this week's warm temps should take care of that. 

Rode Chenango Valley State Park in Binghamton, NY yesterday. Trails were dry, fast, and fun! 

Now I'm off to ride again!


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Here's the view from what's know as "Strawberry Fields" behind Hartwick campus in Oneonta. Beautiful day for riding!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Great pix, all, thanks for sharing. And Nicole - great face!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

My friend's lab and me fatbiking on Sunday. The snow was retreating in the Northeast Kingdom, maybe 40/60 snow to bare ground. Kingdom Trails is hoping to open May 1st, weather permitting.


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## OkieInAlaska (Apr 9, 2013)

Finally was able to get out and ride today it was sunny and about 38 degrees (a heat wave for us), still snow on the roads. The slush was tricky but managable. Going to be a while yet before any trails are ridable.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

petey15 said:


> Finally the northeast saw sun, mild temperatures and dry trails (at least where I rode- an hour's drive from home). My bike and camera were all the company I needed today!


Awesome! Yes, you look like you were having tons-o-fun! So good to see people getting out.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

petey15 said:


> Got out again today, this time with some friends. I took the opportunity to get some action shots of someone besides myself.
> 
> The first is my friend, Ray, demonstrating to his wife, Betty that it's all about momentum. The second shot is Betty, on her third attempt. She just started really riding trails last year and broke some ribs on another log pile last fall. Unfortunately I missed her first successful crossing. You can probably tell she's a little far forward and her front wheel is turned...I call this shot "Legend of the Fall".
> The third shot I give "two bums up"  and the fourth is her asking if I caught all that on my camera; she's a great sport and didn't break this time :thumbsup:


More great passion. It's not the miles, it's the smiles.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Nice shot! Great determination on the face.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha, great pic. Wowza, seems cold for me. Well, I take that back, I have ridden in colder weather from time to time. Great smile, so awesome to see you're getting out to ride.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Nicole - I love the photo!

I had my first endo on Saturday. My boyfriend and I rode part of Mag 7 out in Moab and I ate it about 500ft from the trailhead! I usually don't have trouble descending technical bits (unless there's exposure), but my concentration was thrown off and I lost it going off one of the ledges/steps. Luckily, my face broke my fall. Sandstone isn't very forgiving. 
After I realized that my head was still in one piece and all my teeth were in place, we continued on one fun ride (minus our decision to listen to the shuttle driver's suggestion to exit on Gemini Bridges road - not only does the road just suck, but the winds were so strong that we were pedaling downhill back to town. We should have done the Portal route! Next time...).

This photo was taken at the end of our ride, about 3 or so hours later. It didn't look so bad then. My lip is quite swollen now (I sliced up the inside of it pretty good with my teeth) and my cheek is a little purple. I'm also discovering other little aches on the rest of my body. 

It could have ended up a lot worse... I feel really lucky to come out of it relatively unscathed.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

*Celebrating Earth Day*

I was on-call this weekend, so as luck would have it, my "weekend" fell on Earth Day. Even better, it was sunny and in the 50's (of course, it's Monday, right?). I enjoyed a few hours at one of my favorite haunts. I'm still working on jumping...I need to remember to shift my weight back a little more. I loved the turtles basking in the sun. You know it's Spring when they are out. The last is a trout lily that was growing next to the trail. Such an odd name for a pretty little flower.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Stripes said:


> Wow, that's beautiful Petey. Sounds like you had a great time


Thanks! I did have a great time - seemed like a perfect way to celebrate the day


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

This thread has been far too quiet - where has everyone been? Ever since my first bike park experience and now looking forward to my first freeride clinic in October, I've been a bit obsessed with learning new skills, particularly with drops or trying to catch air. I built up a smallish drop (~1' or so tall) and worked on that today. Here's one shot I got with the self-timer. I wish I had it on video so I could see how it looked in the air (because it didn't seem like I went that far off the drop) but, today was my first attempt, so I decided to cut myself a little slack :thumbsup:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I'm in the middle of IMBA ICP instructor training right now. That is a story unto itself. 3.5 days total, one more to go complete with written exam. Whew! Exciting, fun, amazing and exhausting. It was pretty exciting to teach a complex skill with success to the other instructor trainees.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Enjoying the reports!

Just returned from 3 nights camping at Brighton State Park (highly recommended) with the new dog, and rode Kingdom Trails one day. "Keeper" slept really good that night. The bike tow leash (yellow thing in 2nd pic) worked great, except for on the narrow bridges, where we walked instead.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> I'm in the middle of IMBA ICP instructor training right now. That is a story unto itself. 3.5 days total, one more to go complete with written exam. Whew! Exciting, fun, amazing and exhausting. It was pretty exciting to teach a complex skill with success to the other instructor trainees.


Congratulations, that's awesome! Please share more about your experience.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> Enjoying the reports!
> 
> Just returned from 3 nights camping at Brighton State Park (highly recommended) with the new dog, and rode Kingdom Trails one day. "Keeper" slept really good that night. The bike tow leash (yellow thing in 2nd pic) worked great, except for on the narrow bridges, where we walked instead.


Looks like your new friend enjoyed the adventure, too! Looks like fun :thumbsup:


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## SunnyNAZ (Oct 31, 2012)

*Flagstaff Two Weeks ago plus some night ride shots*

First couple of pics. First ever race in Flagstaff a couple of weeks ago. Next couple is our Friday night MTB ride. I really enjoy the night rides now that I have a good light:thumbsup:


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Nice!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Have to share this pic. I have been eyeing this roll down for a long time. It used to be a big gap jump and it was rebuilt a few years ago eliminating the gap. I always ride by it thinking, "I should come up here with the full face, next time, blah blah..." Sat I went riding with a bunch of guys and just followed them down. Let's hear it for not overthinking! Did it twice as we needed the photo.

This was super awesome for me as it underscored the " just do, don't think" aspect of riding.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> Have to share this pic. I have been eyeing this roll down for a long time. It used to be a big gap jump and it was rebuilt a few years ago eliminating the gap. I always ride by it thinking, "I should come up here with the full face, next time, blah blah..." Sat I went riding with a bunch of guys and just followed them down. Let's hear it for not overthinking! Did it twice as we needed the photo.
> 
> This was super awesome for me as it underscored the " just do, don't think" aspect of riding.


Awesome pic! Congratulations on not overthinking - it's something I need to do less of myself. I think.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

kinsler said:


> So old, but funny story about Hawaii's rain. About 2 years ago I was riding home from work- about a 13 mile ride one way and it starts pouring with about 4-5 miles home. So after about 5 minutes of getting drenched I'm getting pretty cold (I know- it's Hawaii) and then the thunder and lightening starts. This is actually a pretty rare event in Hawaii... So I pick up the pace only to discover my power is out. Unfortunately for me I used a key pad to get in through the garage. After about 30 minutes of avoiding sideways rain and sitting out the worst lightening storm in my 5 years on the island, I relent and call a locksmith. But the roads are flooded and he's stuck in rush hour traffic. Finally after 2 hours huddled on my porch the power comes back on beating the locksmith.... moral of the story- always carry a house key!


Haha, just now read this story, great images. Yes, very rare to have electrical storms here.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

formica said:


> Have to share this pic. I have been eyeing this roll down for a long time. It used to be a big gap jump and it was rebuilt a few years ago eliminating the gap. I always ride by it thinking, "I should come up here with the full face, next time, blah blah..." Sat I went riding with a bunch of guys and just followed them down. Let's hear it for not overthinking! Did it twice as we needed the photo.
> 
> This was super awesome for me as it underscored the " just do, don't think" aspect of riding.


Awesome pic, really shows the steepness. Text book technique too. Great on not over-thinking. Just plain great picture.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

So good to have this thread alive again.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

*Getting one in before the snow*

Decided to take Stripes's suggestion and try jumping with my old 26"hardtail. I've only recently started to take flight using my Trance X 29er. Love, love, love that bike. But, I was curious to see the difference between a 26" hardtail and a FS 29er for jumping. I know a better comparison would be using a FS 26" bike, but I no longer have one, so the hardtail it was.

I'll admit, I was nervous. I've never jumped with my that bike before and the lack of rear suspension, smaller wheels and steeper HT angle wasn't exactly confidence-inspiring. Was it going to feel harsh? Would I bounce around a lot on the landing?

I rolled the jump a few times to reacquaint myself to the smaller bike before I started picking up speed to try to get some air. Trepidation turned to surprise as I managed to not only get some air, but land upright, on both wheels. I was pleased with my attempts and glad to get some riding in before the snow started falling here. I'm thinking I need to visit an indoor park this winter - too much fun!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

formica said:


>


I missed that post somehow - awesomeness squared!



petey15 said:


> Decided to take Stripes's suggestion and try jumping with my old 26"hardtail.


Looks great!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Temperatures in Caledon, Ontario on the weekend dipped to -6c (windchill -12c)

Follow me


Down the Humber River Valley




Across some flats


To the River


To the tower of mushrooms


Heading home


Nature inspired


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Brrrrr! Great shots - thanks for sharing ! Hard to believe it's that time of year again. Where did the beautiful summer/fall go?


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Great to see you back out there, Stripes!

Nice pix Cyclelicious! I would add some snow pedaling rep, but it seems I must spread some around.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

It was 2F when I started the 8 mile ride to work here in VT yesterday. Bikecommuting makes me look forward to every commute. You can start as a fair weather commuter, but I warn you, it is addictive. This pic is in the capital, Montpelier, less than a mile to go!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> Great to see you back out there, Stripes!
> 
> Nice pix Cyclelicious! I would add some snow pedaling rep, but it seems I must spread some around.


I agree on all counts - great to see you back out there, Stripes and it's so nice to see that a little snow doesn't keep people from getting out on their bikes and having fun. Bring on the stoke!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

Stripes, do you have an Ibis now? Do you still have the ventana?


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## shredchic (Jun 18, 2007)

Stripes said:


> Changed the cranks before the ride so I have much more reasonable gearing, 32/24 instead of 38/26 (WTF Shimano? Who has the knees to climb in the 38/26? Gah, what was I thinking that the XT double would work for me).


Nice to see your ride report and pic Stripes! So glad you are able to enjoy the trails more now. I'm curious - what chainrings/crankset did you get? Did you have to change derailleur at all? I too am using the lowest possible Shimano XT 2x10 gearing and completely agree - it leaves much to be desired on steeper climbs. Mr. Shred doesn't seem to notice, of course.  But I do.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

*Tonight's story...*

A bottle sails, THUNK.

Misses me, skids in the snow

But leaves me angry


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

you are in the northeast right? how you feelin bout this storm?


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

pretty sure mtbxplorer is in VT if i'm not mistaken. 

be glad you're in cali!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Yes,I'm in central VT. Here it changed to rain this morning, but I stayed home getting ready for company. Hope they get here soon, as it's down to 32F now. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving everyone!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Milder weather this weekend

-1c and foggy. Some snow melted but ground is frozen and Humber River remains ice covered












2 days riding 5 hours total... fun!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

-1c mild? Sheesh? So good to see you're out riding for sure.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

I took the fatbike and the boys out for a ride before work...


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

Unseasonably warm weather today in upstate New York. Did a nice 2 hour solo ride at Chenango Valley State Park near Binghamton. Felt amazing to get back out on the bike again after a brutally busy semester that didn't allow me to ride as much as I would have liked. Also the first ride on my bike since I rebuilt my fork..happy with how it feels.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

^^ for some reason i thought you were in wyoming? or was that somebody else?

btw, got a fat bike  only had it less than a week, and i've had three rides. the snow is starting to get a little slushy so i need some colder temps to firm it up. then it's game on!


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

^Haha nope, I'm from good ole' upstate NY.  And that's an awesome fatbike! Been dying to give one a try!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Nice fatty, selfie, and a cute pup too, Nicole. Sadly this weekend's rain, freezing rain, and temps as high as 45F has just about killed our snow for fatbiking here in central VT. I have about 2" left in the yard but it may not survive the day. Then I see we're back to below zero tomorrow night.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

NicoleB said:


> ^^ for some reason i thought you were in wyoming? or was that somebody else?
> 
> btw, got a fat bike  only had it less than a week, and i've had three rides. the snow is starting to get a little slushy so i need some colder temps to firm it up. then it's game on!
> 
> ...


Wow! I see you rollin' and I'm hatin'...hating the fact that you got a fat bike and I want one!  Nice pics. You're smaller, so tell me how the Pugsley feels?


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Trailrider92 said:


> ^Haha nope, I'm from good ole' upstate NY.  And that's an awesome fatbike! Been dying to give one a try!


CVSP - my stomping grounds, too. I'm originally from Bingo but now live in Ithaca. However, I frequent CVSP most weekends. I recognized those trails right away - nice pics .


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

Petey, it's an XS! surley is one of the few that carries that size. Most others are 17in and up


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ How does it handle? I've been interested in the XS Mukluk, in part because I wanted to get into off-road bike touring. I think Fatback also makes a bike down to 14"? But it's really $$$.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

i've only had it a week, and it's been less than stellar conditions. the good thing about the pugs is that the lowest model, still has decent wheels and tires (something that many budget fatbikes need upgrading). The mukluk is a bit more pricy. the major diff between those two, is i believe geometry. The mukluk is slacker.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Nice pics Nicole and congrats on your new fatbike. 
I have to wait til next season to get one


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Ice storm here in southern Ontario... so what to do but check out the conditions!

Every home had a tree that cracked and broke branches under the weight of the freezing rain building up on the trees


Beautiful effects


Checking out the river valley


We rode in the open areas because of the danger of falling branches. 


Found a schoolyard with glare ice. Thank you studded tires


Ducking the hanging boughs


Great ride. Now time to head home and shovel the driveway


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Awesome pix, story, and exploring. Hope your power is on, some further north in VT don't have theirs back on for Christmas from last weekend's ice here.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Stripes said:


> Warm day in Santa Cruz last weekend. Wonderful conditions, no one around. Good to get out and ride 4 months post-op. Need to get fitted for my new bike though (Mojo HD), because it's sooo much fun and I want to maximize what I can do it on it :thumbsup:
> 
> View attachment 857510


Full speed ahead...CHARGE! Lookin' good, Stripes, and congrats on the awesome ride .


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Sweet! Love the bike. Love the smile, cool hair too. And the pup! All in all, great set of pics.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha Licious! Awesome! Love it. Looks too damn cold for me but you still have that smile. Real passion....


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Britain's Maria Leijerstram becomes first person to cycle to South Pole | road.cc


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

*New Year's Day selfies*

























Rang in the new year with one of my favorite rides- headed out from my house and rode up and around and back down the mountains which bisect El Paso. Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^It looks like you've started off 2014 in great style!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

welp. this is what i did today.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

NicoleB said:


> welp. this is what i did today.


Love all the little details you use to personalize your bikes! How's the Pugsley treating you since you've had some time in the saddle?


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## gren737 (May 10, 2008)

Well I couldn't get the jumping pic to upload, but here's one from yesterday's ride while I screwed up the courage to descend this. I made it, but it looks much worse from this angle than it really is. Been splitting my time this winter between DH and XC and probably spending more time on the DH bike, which is just way more fun!


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Oh how I miss that terrain and weather. Don't get me wrong, winter and rock gardens can be cool but I miss that open ground. West coast?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

This week has been perfect for ice biking. 
New Year's eve




Last weeks storms caused quite a few trees to get knocked down.

New Years day




Yesterday


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

cyclelicious said:


> View attachment 860395


Yikes, I would be scared to ride that close to open water. How did you decide it was OK? Follow someone bigger?  Or was it shallow and pretty warm like it was here yesterday (30F)? The glare ice shot is impressive!

I went to Uberwintern, a fatbike event in Stowe Saturday, and the trails were great! This spot is called the Green Chair and has a great view of the mountain.








Yesterday I took the dog biking on local trails and was really happy he did not chase any critters and was very well behaved when we met skiers and walkers.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

mtbxplorer said:


> Yikes, I would be scared to ride that close to open water. How did you decide it was OK? Follow someone bigger?  Or was it shallow and pretty warm like it was here yesterday (30F)? The glare ice shot is impressive!
> 
> I went to Uberwintern, a fatbike event in Stowe Saturday, and the trails were great! This spot is called the Green Chair and has a great view of the mountain.
> View attachment 860424
> ...


The ice is several inches thick (we've had a couple weeks of freezing temps) but it's true you don't want to get too close to the edge.  In some sections you can see the multiple layers of ice (which looks like escarpment rock) Although I've been riding on the ponds and rivers for 4-5 year (some years did not get cold enough to freeze) I only ride with experienced riders who know the conditions and safe sections. I've developed more confidence so I'm ok riding near the open sections.



manbat said:


> Looks like fun, what tyres you using on that ice?


It's a ton o'fun! On the last ride, we had 11 people in our group. 6 riders had never experienced ice biking before and all reported they couldn't wait to go out again !

Studded tires are best on ice. 3 folks in our group rode fat bikes, no studs. The fat bikes did well on snow covered sections but not so well on glare ice and off camber stretches. It's also better to run less air pressure in the tires. After some trial and error (many wipe-outs) riders were letting more air out of their tires.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Thanks!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Year round commuting is an adventure every day. -17F this morning.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Wow! I commute year round but it only gets down to high 40's here. Gets quite wet and nasty though.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Cool! Cold wet rain is plenty rugged and worse in some ways! At least at -17F, you and the bike stay clean and dry!


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

No pic for my ride today but all week I have been hitting the local rail-trail in the snow. Nice super-cold powder snow, about 7 inches and 10 deg. It got a little rough today when it was all tracked up by a snow mobile, oh well. At least the scenery was picturesque with the light coming through the trees and glaring in on the creek beside.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Enjoying this thread!

We're having another deep freeze. Hoping to get out there and ride soon


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

*If you are within striking distance of Gorham NH...*

...the trails at the Moose Brook Fatbike Race were fun, even at 5F and windblown! There is camping too, I may go back for that.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

I love the bar mitts  

Today hubby wanted a treat from the Turkey hill outside the neighborhood. Fortunately he mentioned it before I was going to hop on the indoor bike:thumbsup: 18 deg and the clerk was like 'OMG you are out riding?" I laughed, because my work crew is always outside anyway. It just felt good to get some wheel time in


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## Lucyvet (Feb 18, 2011)

I love all the fat bikes in this thread! I took mine on an 8 mile solo ride yesterday in about 2-3in of fresh snow. One other fatbiker had been out, but most of the trails were undisturbed snow  Today we got another 12in, with freezing rain on top, so I don't know when I'll get out again, but yesterday was fun!


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

<looking longingly> 

Today I was tempted to go ride the rail trail on mondays 6 inches of powder, but it got freeze rained and melted into the point that there was several inches of water. Tomorrow will be an ice ride maybe


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Sucking wind today at the local "Frozen Onion" fatbike race! My throat is sore from all the heavy breathing. The hills were tough because the trail had not set up from the snowstorm earlier this week, so everyone was pushing through soft snow, and the footprints and sun only made it worse with successive laps. The downhills were super fun and fast, though, which is pretty much what I say about any trail.  Stuck it out for the 4 laps, the 4th one was pretty lonely and DFL, but folks were really nice to stay around to cheer me through the finish line. Thanks to the Elks and Country Club for letting Onion River Sports have the race there.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We snowshoed a new trail alignment. Snow in the forest was deep (knee to thigh deep in spots). We snowshoed down to the river which was snow covered, and solid but spongy in spots. Great day snowshoeing ~10km



found another deer leg on the trail


built a fire to warm up


Roasted some mushrooms


Back to the trailhead


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

manbat said:


> Nice photos as usual
> 
> It looks like someone's standing inside that big camp fire and I hope those shrooms ain't the same ones those dudes in the Phillip Seymour Hoffman dead thread have been eating ^^
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk


lol I swear, manbat we did not sacrifice anyone! Seymour Hoffman would not have OD'd on those shrooms unless he was allergic to soy sauce and garlic... however I think the 10km snowshoe hike would have done him in


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ I would have to agree with manbat - your friend does look a little warm! Great pix & adventure, thanks for sharing.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Great pics as always cycleicious! Looks like a wonderful day .


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha! Awesome pics. Keep 'um coming. How fun!!!


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## Lucyvet (Feb 18, 2011)

Love the snowshoeing pics, cyclelicious! Looks like a lot of fun


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

*The new LadyBike*









Third ride on my as-yet-unnamed bike. The scene: Syncline in the Columbia River Gorge. I had one of those horrible days where it felt like I was learning to ride a bike all over again, but it was a gorgeous day & I was with friends, so who really cares. 

I am eating in at least 75% of all photos taken of me, and this one is no exception. (Fave trail snack: carrots.)

gabrielle


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha, Nice!! Yay, riding season's return in many parts of the country.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

So great to see green grass and a new bike - can't wait!


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## Golf_Chick (Aug 22, 2013)

Weather is drying up here again so being as its a lovely day we took the camera n got some action shots for a change.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Great shots! I took advantage of the gorgeous weather this weekend and got some riding in as well. Can't beat 80 in April after the winter we've had in upstate New York.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Gab, is that a Feed Bag I see on your handlebars? I guess I won't make one for you now....


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

formica said:


> Gab, is that a Feed Bag I see on your handlebars? I guess I won't make one for you now....


Yep! That's MBO guide swag from several years ago  I can always use another...maybe a leftie.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

My cartoonish Saturday morning ride:

So on what will probably be one of the last "spring" rides this year, before it gets stupidly hot here in the El Paso, I was riding up the road into the local state park. Out of no where a coyote runs across the road. I kid you not, 5 seconds later a roadrunner darts across in the opposite direction. I'm pretty sure he would have said "beep, beep" had he not had breakfast dangling from his mouth.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ hahahaha Cool, didn't know the roadrunners were for real, but we do have coyotes here in VT. One grabbed a neighbor's mini-dachshund, but it lived.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

HAHA!! That is hilarious. I love those moments when I laugh to myself in my head...........


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Finally got to have an hour long ride around Mt Gretna. The day job has had me so worked up almost 70 hrs a week with hardly a chance to squeak out a 15 min roll around town. It felt so good:thumbsup: 8 miles and a perfect evening...


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I am very stoked to be reconnecting up with some gals for rides. Out of my local bunch most gals have drifted away, become runners, soccer moms, whatever.... Anyway, finding new friends who want to go play. We had an impromptu get together the

other evening. The Balsamroot only look like this for about a week or two:


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

+1 that is funny.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Sweet! As my friend says, we all need more "T.I.T.S" - Time In The Saddle. My GF said I have more but hers will always be bigger.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Yay for new riders.............


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Coolness


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

gabrielle said:


> +1 that is funny.


Gab and I need some post-worthy photos from this weekend. I did get to ride with my bbb (best biking bud) after a few years of it not happening since we live lots of hours apart. It's pretty easy to just get too busy and let life get in the way. So we made it happen and I did the 6 hour drive. We got in two great rides before the rains came in. We have been bike adventuring together since 2002 and somehow let a few years get in the way.... not going to happen again, is it??!!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

The local trails (Millstone) opened and I took the dog for a nice ride. I went 6.85 miles plus sawed a few blowdowns, while he ran 9.2 (he has a GPS collar). Saw an owl trailside...


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## ButterBacon (May 9, 2014)

*Lady Train*

So many of my crash stories begin with, "while biking at Whistler" and "apparently, I had crazy eyes." This story is no different, except that I can say both phrases in one sentence. So, here it begins; one summer while up at my favorite riding destination, Whistler Bike Park. I was riding with my friend Janine, when we happened across a crew of cats read the rest of the story here and see photos


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Our new local riding group is really gathering momentum


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## Arsbars (Apr 15, 2004)

great photo! 

Where is this located?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Top of Beacon Hill, Spokane.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/303630576452095/
BikingBetty @bikingbettiesNW


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

*First post here Yucky pic!*

Hey Ladies. This is my first post so here goes. Here's my badly swollen knee that doesn't even look like a knee with 3 stitches from my crash. Been back to mtn biking a couple months now after a few years off. Got some new pedals and installed them myself. So I didn't tighten my shoe bolts on my cleats down tight enough. After 14 miles of rough riding I must have lost a bolt. This made my left foot be able to spin in my pedal but would not let me out of the pedal. Rocky section I come up on fast and decide to hike-a-bike. Put on the brakes and Boom, can't get out of the pedal and wipeout into gravel, rocks,sticks,leaves and junk. Pulled a stick out of the hole and a river of blood started. Got up and started walking and yelling for the hubby up ahead. He came and checked my shoe and tightened that one remaining bolt down like a brute. Got on the bike for 3 more miles of riding to the truck. With blood pouring down my leg into my shoe. I can't believe how mad I was, didn't even shed one tear but let out a few cuss words. I'm mad I didn't make him take a pic with it all nasty and blood everywhere though! LOL, it's a trophy now!

Moral of the story I won't ever try do fix anything on my bike again without making my hubby do it.


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## FrdSHOx3 (Sep 10, 2009)

Ouch!Heal up!
I learned to always carry/wear a bandana. Tie it around an injury so I don't bleed all over on the way out.


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

That idea for the bandana is great! Thanks for the tip. Plus it would have kept the extra mud I got in it out from that last part of the ride. Doc had to scrub it all out and gave me a tetanus shot too. Thank goodness for the numbing shots he gave me first.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I suggest just having hubby check your work. Knowing how to fix most things on your own bike is a good things. I have my hubby check my bolts as my hand strength is non-existing. I can't tighten things very well. 

Carrying a first aid kit in addition to a bandana is a good idea, too.


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

Yeah I agree. I have zero hand strength too. When we first started biking years ago he got me in the living room and made me change my tubes out and do a couple easy things like that. I never ride without him though. He carries around a first aid kit but we didn't have a band-aid big enough for the hole. We put a smaller one over it at the time but it came off pretty quick with the blood running. He'll usually just change my tire if it gets flat (which is not that often) since it would take me so much longer and you are standing there hot and sweaty and the mosquitos are swarming.


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

Bandana- takes up almost no room in the pack and is good for many things in addition to first aid. Mine gets used as a under-the-helmet layer in cool weather. Thin enough to fit comfortably under the helmet and yet surprisingly warm. In warm weather, dip it into a cool stream, put it around your neck and it provides instant cooling.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Ouch! I've had some hard lessons about tightness early on, but they were just derailleurs and such. Had a bear trap pedal to the shin once with a 3 stitch gash, that hurt bad enough without being speared...

One good recommendation I took when I was getting used to wrenching was to get a small torque wrench. There are some small handheld ones for bike work that don't cost much and then you know for sure its set to the factory torque. Never had a loose one since, almost 12 years later. 

Shoe bolts are a bit odd to tighten the first time. Tighten, use a while, tighten again when the rubber squishes a little. Then they are a real pain to loosen once the corrosion sets in. Glad to hear that was all the injury from that, no collar bones and such. Live long, recover quickly


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

mini torque wrench, great idea!


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

Yeah, I think we already have one actually. Hubby doesn't like me messing with his tools though, he's kinda crazy about that LOL. He absolutely loves messing with bikes and really it was dumb of me to do that because he would have done it but I was in a hurry. We were going to ride that day and I just slapped em on and didn't give it a 2nd thought until I was pulling the stick out of my leg. I don't really enjoy tuning bikes or doing much other than just riding, so I gladly let him do it. Thanks for the great tips! Going to definitely pickup a couple bandana's - plus they look cool !


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

There's something about someone taking care of your bike for you, but truly every bike owner should be familiar with basics as someone else may not always be there to fix it for you.


Sent from my iPad - Stupid autocorrect!


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Today was the perfect day for some in-the-trees singletracking. I didn't have time for going to the bigger park(Mt Gretna) but Lancaster Central park was good enough for some solo trails. In fact I didn't give the park as much credit as it may be due because there were several trails that I didn't know existed even though I've been going there for almost 10 years. It's nice being surprised in a park 5 mi from home  :thumbsup:









Cute and breathable outfit worked nice until I found one trail was all lined with stingweed. Especially in the hike-bike sections :madmax: Motivation to stay on top at all costs lol.


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

formica said:


> There's something about someone taking care of your bike for you, but truly every bike owner should be familiar with basics as someone else may not always be there to fix it for you.
> 
> Sent from my iPad - Stupid autocorrect!


Yeah, ah, as I said I can do the basic things needed. Except tighten things tight enough obviously, LOL. I would never go mtn biking without my husband though. We have always ridden together unless I'm sick and he goes with our friends. If he can't go I wouldn't go anyway. Call me old fashioned, and I would never consider going alone. I've road biked without him a couple times on local group rides but that's it. Not as fun if he's not there.


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

Awesome how those hidden gems pop out on you. Love discovering something like that! Cool pics.



supersedona said:


> View attachment 897651
> 
> 
> Today was the perfect day for some in-the-trees singletracking. I didn't have time for going to the bigger park(Mt Gretna) but Lancaster Central park was good enough for some solo trails. In fact I didn't give the park as much credit as it may be due because there were several trails that I didn't know existed even though I've been going there for almost 10 years. It's nice being surprised in a park 5 mi from home  :thumbsup:
> ...


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Here are a couple from today. 16.5 miles, 4400'. All the climbs were forest roads, all the descents buff old school singletrack. I feel great. It's pretty early in the season to feel great on a big ride like that so I feel GREAT.








Five miles down singletrack and you come onto an unused fireroad - it ws graded in but never ever used. It's a grassy climb for another 6 miles out. No real views on this ride, but it's nice being out in the forest.








One of my biking buds. Hair is courtesy POC. She landed on her face second ride out this season and had to have facial surgery and her septum repaired but she did great; still getting her biking legs back but I would be too if I had been through that.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Nice! That is a lot of climbing!

Two rides so far on the new bike. :thumbsup: The first one was the day after a hailstorm, and it looked like a Cuisinart had gone through the tree canopy - shredded leaves everywhere.









Took the dog today, he matches.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Our womens' rides are an unqualified success. We are having lots of gals show up, from the racer chicks to newbies. There is nothing like watching the Lady Train snaking up the trail...


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Today was so hot in my work truck/station. The thermometer inside said 97 deg F with almost no wind. If there was an up side it would be that my diet is a lot more effective when I have no urge to snack/eat heavy in the heat.

After getting out a little before sunset, trails were calling so I donned my suit(thank goodness for breathable fabrics instead of work jeans  Central park along the Connestoga river. Close enough to be on the way home without being significantly out of the way. In the woods it was a chilly(as if) 77 deg. Wooo hooo:thumbsup:


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

I was tempted when work finished early to go jump in the lake(which has a nice sand beach on the one side), but stuck to riding :thumbsup: Did 10.5 miles of fire road and rail trail, then went back up to the top of the mountain to the car. Fwew that was a hard hill, lol.

Then My S.O called and suggested I ride down to meet for dinner... another 10 miles away. If only that was every Friday


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I did two rides this weekend with my hubby. He's had a bum knee since ski season so this was a test. Yesterday's went well enough that we went back for more today, this time at our favorite techhy area. For all of you with SOs, you know some days are great and some are not. We had a great day... He took some pics of me ( aww)

















Sorry this one isn't better. I had to adjust it a lot as it was in the shadow.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Nice shots  I know how those knees can be. Only thing that keeps mine moving and relatively pain free is riding trails. Now to just get the carpal tunnel figured out...


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Great contributions, all. Cross post from the commuter forum...



mtbxplorer said:


> I pressed the commuter into shuttle service for my paddle today. 8 miles by river, 4 by road to return to the put in and car. This is in the Northeast Kingdom, north of Kingdom Trails by 20+ miles. Worked like a charm, the beaver dams were more challenging than the bike shuttle. I locked the bike at the downstream take out and then locked the kayak after the paddle until I returned with the car.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

mtbxplorer said:


> Great contributions, all. Cross post from the commuter forum...


That's so cool! Yeah, love using my commuter (cargo bike) to do errands and stuff.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Me and Keeper at Millstone today...before the fawn. That turned out OK too. Also before I realized I locked 2 sets of keys in the car - DOH!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Today's story: I learned to jump this weekend!!!
I had pretty much given up, and made the decision to keep my wheels on the ground as all I've done over the years is hurt myself.

One of my new riding pals convinced me to go to the Sugar Showdown in Seattle this weekend, and I am so glad I did. It cracked me up to be a biker with 10+ years of riding but zero experience jumping but there you have it.

Kat Sweet and her coaches are amazing. I do really well in that kind of environment... breaking it into little pieces and building on progressions. Short version of the weekend is that I learned how to do drops and tabletops. I flew! I think the biggest drop I did was about 2.5'! Not huge but hey it's a drop! We also did tabletops, wall rides....Duthie park is set up as a learning park so it was the perfect place for an event like this.

A big pat on the back to me.... Lots of successes. I may not have been the raddest novice but I was off the ground successfully doing all new stuff to me... Whoo hoo. I wish there was a pic of me on the biggest drop I did but one hasn't surfaced yet.

I really need to learn how to add more "punch" to my preload but that's a different thread.:thumbsup:


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Kudos!  I've never gotten past 2.5 ft but with growing up with friends who were into crazy free-riding it made it almost mandatory to try a little. It's kinda funny though, now that age has caught up a bit I look back and think what we did was crazy. LOL The craziest one was the plank see-saw. If you ever get the chance they are a hoot but all in your mind


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## MotoMad1 (May 29, 2014)

Awesome ride last night with the hubby! No pic sorry. We had to haul butt to beat the rainstorm - got caught it in the last 30 mins of ride. 
It was the best I've felt on my bike since I started riding again (late last year). I did awesome and everything just clicked. I went WAY faster than my last few rides and my legs felt great the whole time. Not sure if it was just a nutrition thing or what but it was an amazing ride. 
We ran almost smack into a family of 4 skunks on the trail. Thank goodness they didn't spray us. Then a deer jumped out in front of me and scared me to death. Once the rain and thunder started I went even faster. Kind of scary because the trail got really dark. 
FUN STUFF though and can't wait to get out there again.


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

I hit the trails with five other ladies for my very first night ride on wednesday night - the coldest night of the year so far!
Had a fantastic time trying to recognise trails in the dark that I have ridden hundreds of times before - so glad I wore my wooly gloves and longs! :thumbsup:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

So here are some pics from the Sugar Showdown

The littlest of the Three Little Pigs








First tabletop ever... now I have to work on how to get (more) air off these things.








I need to remember that this is FUN and not to be so fricken serious


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Cool pix, Formica! Congrats on the jumping.

The night ride looks like a blast, Asterope!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

There was so much media there - a handful of pro photographers plus video people. Many of the photos were made available but you have to scroll though hundreds to find yourself.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I did some exploring this weekend. I finally found some trails in an area that DH likes to go for whitewater boating. Now I've got something to do besides being shuttle bunny.

There was some of this


and some of this


and on one trail, a whole lot of this:


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## alaskarider (Aug 31, 2004)

Looks like you found the trail less traveled, Formica!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Volunteer day at the Sunnyside bike park (Toronto)

























Then got to ride it!
















The park officially opened last weekend. I have just ordered my new DJ bike and will soon have it built up!

In the meantime still DHing on weekends and trail riding during the week after work


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## wadester (Sep 28, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> Volunteer day at the Sunnyside bike park (Toronto)
> 
> View attachment 910785
> 
> ...


Very Cool! And if you don't mind me asking - is that understructure a modular system? Or did you guys hand build it all? Very well done if by hand, and I want some if purchasable!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I was wondering if the black was some sort of template.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> Volunteer day at the Sunnyside bike park (Toronto)
> 
> The park officially opened last weekend. I have just ordered my new DJ bike and will soon have it built up!
> 
> In the meantime still DHing on weekends and trail riding during the week after work


Sweet!! That's so fun to see.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

This pumptrack is an all weather modular, non slip surface.


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## wadester (Sep 28, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> This pumptrack is an all weather modular, non slip surface.


Sorry for the threadjack - thanks! I'll just leave this here:


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

wadester said:


> Sorry for the threadjack - thanks! I'll just leave this here:


Love this video Wadester! The park was designed by Jay Hoots and I got to meet him during the volunteer day.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Out for a ride with the dog Saturday. Went back Sunday to do some trailwork on my adopted trail, and my adopted dog was not as good. I had to use his GPS collar (you can see the antenna) to find him almost a mile away.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

We spent the week in Revelstoke BC checking out some mindblowing alpine trails. (all but one photo by kyle509, thanks for sharing)


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## alaskarider (Aug 31, 2004)

mtbxplorer said:


> Out for a ride with the dog Saturday. Went back Sunday to do some trailwork on my adopted trail, and my adopted dog was not as good. I had to use his GPS collar (you can see the antenna) to find him almost a mile away.


Oh, dear! Glad you were able to find him eventually.


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## alaskarider (Aug 31, 2004)

formica, now I have a strong urge to go riding in BC. Those pictures are amazing!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Agreed, looks like a great ride Formica!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Here are the rest of the pics.
https://picasaweb.google.com/103198891343666684242/RevelstokeBikeTrip

Keystone has been on my radar for years and we hit it at prime wildflower season. 
We went with another couple and had a blast. After four days of riding hubby and I were toast but the young'uns went down to Rossland for 7 Summits. That ride is pretty close to home so we are saving it for a different trip.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Love your pics Formica! Seems like an amazing trip 

Also love your Kona Operator, Stripes... I placed my order for a 2015 Operator... so stoked


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## shredchic (Jun 18, 2007)

Stripes said:


> First time on my new DH bike--2013 Kona Operator. I can even jump it!
> 
> View attachment 913058


Yeeha! Looks like a fun bike, and a fun park trip!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Nice!!


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

those are awesome pix formica! You look great in a FF.  Revelstoke is on my bucketlist for sure now. I also got a new bike, 650b. Got me a devinci troy trailbike. From my first couple rides, it's a real DH ripper but climbs fairly good too. Got a reverb stealth and it's my best upgrade ever. happy happy new toys.


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## Khiori (Aug 16, 2014)

No real story behind this. We went out riding a little before work yesterday. Had to hustle back to beat out the storm.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

The cloud approaches...


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## umicheng (Mar 24, 2011)

Spending this weekend building up the new enduro bike! Should be interesting, lots of firsts, first full squish, first internal cable routing, first dropper (and install), first hydraulic brakes (with bleed/shortening)... 

Either way, I'm super psyched. I got the frame over a month ago, and it's just been sitting there as I've been traveling for the past few weeks for work and waiting on the wheels. But I picked them up yesterday!!!! Sneak peek... :thumbsup:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

A lot of hike a bike crossings on a wilderness ride. Last blast for Long Canyon... turns into "managed as wilderness" next year.






I am using the bike to hold myself up so I don't slide into the creek off the rock.

Anyone think this thread should be sticky? :thumbsup:


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

formica said:


> Last blast for Long Canyon... turns into "managed as wilderness" next year.


Dang. I read about this one in one of my bike mags...sorry I missed it.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

The order hasn't been signed yet. A lot of us are holding our breath on a lawsuit that may or may not happen. ~LC got written up?


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Wow, that's rough to lose bike access to wilderness designation. I imagine they got a lot of public comment against it.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

I mostly ride the fatbike on snow, but I try to get to the beach a couple times in the off-season. This was a foggy day in September on Cape Cod MA with my buddy Keeper.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

mtbxplorer said:


> Wow, that's rough to lose bike access to wilderness designation. I imagine they got a lot of public comment against it.


N Idaho isn't a hotspot of activism... whether they were even listening to the public is up for discussion. There may be a lawsuit that will throw the whole ruling out. More on Long Canyon and the USFS here
http://forums.mtbr.com/idaho-montana-wyoming/bonners-ferry-723194.html


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Today's story: 
I will be 54 tomorrow. I'm convinced mountain biking keeps me young.:thumbsup: I have a tradition of doing a birthday ride - just put it out there to the universe and see who shows up.

Today is an amazing fall day. We met at the trailhead hubby and I + four other folks I know, one of whom brought some acquaintances. What can I say other than we had a super fun ride up to the towers, hitting all the fun little ridable rocks (some of the guys jump but not me), basking in the sun for a bit. Then back down all the bermed flow trails where I had cupcakes waiting for everyone. 

I'm sure my hubby thinks I am ridiculous in my Wonder Woman socks ( at least I tucked the capes in) with a tiara zip tied to the helmet. Methinks I missed a photo op with a dozen cupcakes, a tiara'd helmet and my socks.

So much fun!! Maybe it's the sugar from that second chocolate chip cupcake.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ +1 Happy Birthday! I would have rep'd you but it says I need to spread it around some more. Would have loved to have seen a picture of that. I agree, mountain biking definitely keeps us young !


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

In retrospect, me setting up a photo shot with above mentioned accessories wouldn't have been any worse than the guys standing around comparing Strava data....


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Whoa! - there are Wonder Woman socks with capes???!!! Sounds like a great time, Happy Birthday!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Why of course there are Wonder Woman socks with little capes on them. How we ended up with these socks is a story...

My friend gifted me. She is recovering from a very serious brain injury that occurred with a weird little MTB fall; nothing major. She was a Cat 2 racer for Terry, extremely active and this was kind of life changing for her. I have been helping her get back into MTB. I let her set the pace - this was the first time to the top in about 4 years.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Those are FANTASTIC! So glad to hear your friend is on the mend and riding again. :thumbsup:


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ ++++++ 
Want!


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

formica said:


> I'm sure my hubby thinks I am ridiculous in my Wonder Woman socks ( at least I tucked the capes in) with a tiara zip tied to the helmet. Methinks I missed a photo op with a dozen cupcakes, a tiara'd helmet and my socks.


HB, and I have to see these socks!

*edit* I should scroll down farther before replying. Socks look great & that's a great story to go with them. <3


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## Khiori (Aug 16, 2014)

Happy Birthday


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Cool socks


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha and Happy Birthday Formica. My friend says on a mountain bike you can be 9 years old forever. I agree. I just made my half-century last week Friday!! Still smiling and having fun on the bike. Another statement we use "Only monkeys have more fun (because they can throw poop at each other and get away with it)". 

Hope the celebrations continue..........


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

We are having a run of abnormally lovely fall weather... mid 60s-70s. It's really hard to work when it's like this. (I work in my basement at home) Today seemed like a good day to sneak out for a 12 loop at the state park by the river, especially since the fall rains are supposed to start tonight.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Looks like a good call!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^^ Ditto! And you color-coordinated your bike with the leaves - nice!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Two pics and stories today.
1. I said goodbye to Stella today. I thought it would be difficult to sell this bike ( high end but "old"). I let a few people know I was selling it, and a friend of mine who used to borrow it every now and then bought it for her wife's mom. She (the bike) will have a new life down in Tahoe. I'm so happy I didn't sell to strangers.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G9waYBPrxBY/VFpQrWQcD7I/AAAAAAAAFEk/wtWTq_R2C10/s912/IMG_2651.JPG

2. Fall riding has been AWESOME. We finally go enough rain to get rid of the moondust and sand. Add goretex socks and warm gloves and good to go. This ride is up behind my house. It's mostly old jeep roads, but it is out the back door.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-...E8/zjKhbH1mdU4/s576/Palouse%20view%20lean.jpg


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Luckily, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades..."Keeper" found this big porcupine today on our ride.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Nice!! Aloha!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ @mtbxplorer - good thing it wasn't "Finder's Keepers"! Great picture - you should post in "Wildlife Seen on the Trail" in the Passion forum.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Ha!


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## Trailrider92 (Nov 13, 2012)

*Beautiful day in Oneonta.*

Today was unseasonably warm and sunny for upstate New York. Visited my alma mater today with the bike in tow. 

Please excuse the instagram filters. 








I need to learn to put some style into jumps so I don't look like such a robot in the air.








Wheelie'n!








Nothing like finishing the ride by tearing up the stairs around campus!

Great day overall, aside from almost losing my bike on the highway when one of the ratcheting mechanisms on my Thule rack came undone.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

**almost**. Whew!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Wow, great pics, Trailrider! I got out today - too beautiful not to. I think I've got the fatty where I want her with the new riser bars and stem.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Nice shots  Today was so oddly warm. Started the ride with a long sleeve jersey and vest, ended with just the vest and tied the jersey on my waist, still sweating a little. Good for painting the house though.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

*Fall desert riding*

Some desert riding. A few pics from our ride/HAB up and ride down North Franklin (roughly 7200 ft).


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Looks warm - beautiful shots!


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

thanks for starting this thread, formica. High of 78 today following 4" of rain yesterday, so it was riding on the street and not the trail. all pics are wonderful, everyone!

There's something about AZ that rings my chimes. Need to get over there for some winter riding.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

well it's not really mountain biking...
I just got back from three+ weeks in Thailand. One of the things we did was a four day bike tour, backroads, in N Thailand just below the Golden Triangle. There was a teensy bit of single track, lots of dirt road and farm roads and some pavement. Our bikes were 120mm travel hardtails and we had a blast! We rode 30-45K a day through rice paddies, villages and temples. We had a super guide and tons of fun. I was worried that the ride would be too easy but it was a great way to see the countryside.
Pics coming soon. I have over 2000 to go through and get the best ones sorted out.
Oh, we saw wild elephants in the jungle but that has zero to do with biking, I know.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Must....see.....elephants! And a bunch of other pix from your trip.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

From yesterday:
The Pineapple Express has hit big time. Our ski areas are weeks behind in opening. The weather is unreal for this time of year. It has been raining some, but our sandy soil dries out really fast. Trails are in excellent condition. I went out yesterday, shortest day of the year and it was 55 when I got back to my car. Unreal.










(still don't have Thailand sorted, edited and loaded, sorry)


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Winter Solstice night and day ride (Southern Ontario)


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Nice!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha Licious! Excellent post. Super coolness!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Great stuff Cyclelicious & Formica (where is that?). We have snow on the ground in VT, but sadly it changed from snow to rain today and is supposed to rain into Xmas! Ick!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Feel your pain - same here! But it should clear up by Friday and I hope to get out for a ride then.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

mtbxplorer said:


> Great stuff Cyclelicious & Formica (where is that?). We have snow on the ground in VT, but sadly it changed from snow to rain today and is supposed to rain into Xmas! Ick!


I am in eastern WA state, right where the basin meets the mountains. We don't always get snow in town, but certainly it's supposed to be a lot more wintry than it has been. We are having a frosty Xmas morning, but not a white one.


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## stacers (Oct 29, 2012)

Last ride of the year - watching the sun set on 2014:

















Happy New Year! Here's to many awesome bike adventures in 2015


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Happy new year everyone! The weather has been different for every ride... but we still managed to get out

Last ride in 2014

































First ride in 2015


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Finally got a good chunk of my photos sorted and put into an album.
Here is a few
http://forums.mtbr.com/womens-lounge/n-thailand-hill-country-945226.html#post11695615

teaser


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

a few of us took our fat bikes to the beach in December on a warm day (in Massachusetts!).
here is the Crane Beach footage. i'd say the lighting was pretty perfect.
if you can make it until the end (hey it's only four min ) there are some lolz. (after the crab)


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Nice Nicole!! Your sand looks more packed than the sand we have here. Aloha!!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Riding the shore ice on Lake Ontario.. yes it was cold. The rocks were icy and slippery


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Way to hit the beach!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Finally some measurable snow to ride my fatty in! We had a good 4" that was packing down nicely in the 40-degree temps. My tires handled it much better than my shoes - I fell a number of times while just walking


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Deep freeze temps prepped our local Humber River for ice biking. The ice was quite thick. A few open spots where we ride around but overall a beautiful day


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Great pics, cyclelicious! Love how you have bonfires during your rides. Are your tires studded?


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Nice ice biking! Saw this idiom on a list today and knew you would be able to use it:

From Swedish translator Matti Jääro:

The idiom: Det är ingen ko på isen
Literal translation: “There’s no cow on the ice.”
What it means: “There’s no need to worry."


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

mtbxplorer said:


> Nice ice biking! Saw this idiom on a list today and knew you would be able to use it:
> 
> From Swedish translator Matti Jääro:
> 
> ...


Ha! Love it!



petey15 said:


> Great pics, cycllelicious! Love how you have bonfires during your rides. Are your tires studded?


Thanks Petey. Yes tires are studded. It's almost impossible to ride anything icy (even flat) without them.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

I love that I'm able to now ride year-round and finding reason to enjoy winter again! We haven't had enough deep snow for xc/backcountry skiing, so I'm even more grateful for my fat bike. We got a fresh dusting of snow this morning from a system that is supposed to be dumping much more along the New England coast and I couldn't wait to get outside and play :thumbsup: I found a sweet little kicker on the park's perfectly "groomed" sledding hill that was blissfully devoid of people and decided to give that a whirl. A couple of my biking buddies who were on a ride caught up to me and decided they needed to do it, too.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Great stuff!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Nice pics petey. Looks like you have good conditions for winter riding. I've been riding in the winter since 2008... as long as the snow is packed down a bit and isn't too deep, it's a trill.

Currently our local trails are ice covered because of fluctuating temps and no/very little snow, so studded tires are an advantage. The ice biking conditions are the best we've seen in years. A few pics from yesterday's Humber River ride


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Nice! I've done some winter riding before this, but was always inhibited by anything more than a couple of inches of snow. The ice riding looks like a lot of fun - I don't think we have any waterways in my area we could ride on, though I do have a pair of studded tires I scored from a friend who moved south.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Whoa, the ice rides look cool, we so rarely get good ice without snow on top here in VT. I may have to go poach some Nordic skaters' routes, I think they keep them clear for skating. When I lived in Maine, I took my DIY studded tires out on the lake, and it was hilarious to see the ice fisherman point and check their flasks.

Fatbike race (for fun) today in NH, but I did not take a single pic. Good trails at Moose Brook State Park in Gorham, a shame they will get covered by new snow on Tuesday, but I'm sure the locals will repack them soon enough. It also looks like a fun place to camp when it's warmer and ride the trails right from the tent. Way warmer than last year when it was -20F and blowing like crazy. Still windy but in the teens during the race. The singletrack trails were less icy than last year, so I had no crashes and some fun speed on the downhills. Lotsa climbing, but hey it's in the White Mountains. Alot of the climbing was routed on the snowmachine trail, so that helped (a little).


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Had another fun day out on the trails. The trails were a bit icy and crusty today thanks to the warmer temps yesterday and much cooler ones today - the trail was like a long, frozen rut of snow. I decided to hit up one of the log piles I like to session and see what jumping that in the snow would be like. It was a blast! Of course now I want a bit more snow so I can make the jump a bit bigger. Something about trying it in the snow does a lot for the confidence :thumbsup:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Today's story (no pictures)
We are unseasonable warm, even for a warm winter. The sun was out today, there are brown spots at the ski area (50 at the base!) and I decided time to go for a ride.

I wish had pictures. Kingsley, my beautiful Intrigue, met her mate today. I parked right next to a truck that has a beautiful Trance leaning on. It is the same black and red color scheme, blinged out in a similar fashion to mine but slightly different. Hee hee, it looked like his and hers bikes. I have a red stem black grips, he had a black stem with red grips. I have red chain ring bolts, he had a red chain right. It would have made a fun photo. I had a nice chat with the guy and then went on my way.

This riding area usually is pretty dry but the dry parts are dry enough, kind of tacky, and the shade is extremely mucky. Like, sink up to the rims mucky. If this weather keeps up it will all dry out really fast, but I couldn't in good conscience keep on this ride. So my friend and I aborted and went back down. Funny thing is, the trail head parking was as packed as I have ever seen it, and there were zillions of riders out, coming back covered with thin mud. We do not have a tradition in this area of not riding the mud, but I am wondering if that needs to change. Good luck with that, right? I am the only one I know in our riding community that makes the choice to NOT ride it.

If it stays like this, above freezing and warmish, maybe it will dry enough to ride in a few days.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Kingsley - I like it! That's cool running into her mate. Sorry you had to abort the ride. One of the places I frequently ride has some trails that consistently get pretty muddy and it's frustrating when people insist on riding them, creating deep ruts and widening the trail. There are plenty of other trails in the park that have great drainage and never seem to get muddy - so ride those, you know? Hopefully your trails will dry out soon!


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

I went out for my annual birthday bike ride yesterday. What made it extra special was that it was the maiden voyage for my (new to me) DH bike. I ran into some friends out for an XC grind and they took this photo for me... I keep inching my way higher and higher up that berm each time I hit it 

So good to be out in the Aussie bush on the bike (even though it was a million degrees!!)


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Love your pic Asterope. I'm counting down the days for my dh bike park opening day (85 days  )

I got a new dh bike as well and can't wait to do a shake down ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A few more pics from some recent rides

It was cold but conditions were perfect









Rode about 20km of frozen lake and river 
















Some didn't make it


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Brrrr..


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Wow, that ice looks nice, Cyclelicious! Is it windswept or haven't you gotten much snow? Never seen a frozen-in muskrat before. I was surprised that on Sunday in that extended +/- 0F cold snap that 2 snowmobilers went through the ice on the Salmon River in Fort Covington NY (on the other side of Lake Ontario).


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

mtbxplorer said:


> Wow, that ice looks nice, Cyclelicious! Is it windswept or haven't you gotten much snow? Never seen a frozen-in muskrat before. I was surprised that on Sunday in that extended +/- 0F cold snap that 2 snowmobilers went through the ice on the Salmon River in Fort Covington NY (on the other side of Lake Ontario).


We experienced snow then deep freeze then thaw/rain then deep freeze again... creating a perfect skating/biking rink 
We've gotten more snow and really cold temps last weekend so conditions may be differnt. I'll have to get out there this weekend... curious what I'll find

Actually it's a frozen mouse.... same species . Poor little thing

We have seen a frozen raccoon stuck in the ice once.

The really cool thing is seeing the mass amount of animal tracks in the snow and snow covered river. It's like a highway (something that can't be observed when the snow is gone


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

cyclelicious said:


> The really cool thing is seeing the mass amount of animal tracks in the snow and snow covered river. It's like a highway (something that can't be observed when the snow is gone


I love that too, finally I can understand why my dog is going crazy, the deer are everywhere, and their main trails look like popular snowshoe routes.

I saw a porcupine Sunday when skijoring (apparently during cold snaps with high winds they get an urge to hang out in the treetops), 30 turkeys yesterday next to a parking lot, and 2 deer tonight walking to the bus in the capitol of VT in the blue light of dusk (I was taking the bus, not the deer).


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Porcupine! Awesome pic
The night pic of the deer is aces too

What type of birds in the trees?

Sadly on a few of these rides we've seen some kill spots. Deer carcass. Most likely by coyotes.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Those are some of the 30 turkeys.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I've never seen them in trees

This is from last summer at the dh park. This group of "all ages" were out in the open and close to but not on the dh runs

















Wild turkeys look prehistoric. Tiny little heads but they know how to survive


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Because dinosaurs were birds basically.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

cyclelicious said:


> I've never seen them in trees
> 
> This is from last summer at the dh park. This group of "all ages" were out in the open and close to but not on the dh runs


Cute! I guess they roost in the trees, usually just overnight, but with all this snow and cold, it makes more sense to save energy sitting in a tree for a few days rather than try to scrounge for food under 3' of snow. I'm not sure why that complex is so attractive to them, there is a huge Blue Cross building and several other small office buildings and warehouses, and tons of paved parking. In better weather I went there near the end of the work day as darkness fell, and they were roosting in all the little ornamental trees adjacent to the sidewalks.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

(no pics)

Our ski season went to s*it, but the biking has been awesome. It appears that the mud issue correlates to soil temps, and the day I posted about earlier was the very worst it's been.

I have had some really fun times. I've been hooking up with riders that are better than me and it's been incredibly confidence building! One of the gals is coming into our classes program as an expert and I'd super stoked about that. It was fun breaking off from my other group (me, group leader for a bunch of second year riders) for 20 minutes of tech time on a new trail with her and another gal. It's so reinforcing to see the people you look up to dabbing where you dab! 


Yesterday I went out with two of the guys from our club. One of the guys was showing us the new trails. We rode the whole tech trail 
mentioned above - it's lots of fun with multiple lines for everything. He also showed us the new jumpline trail (waaaay too big for me) but there is fun singletrack with small rock and ladder rolldowns. Love following someone better than me! Yay me!
I was hoping to find some vids of this new trail on youtube but no.

Not that I don't love riding with the new gals, but it's a different experience to be pushed/puch myself just the right amount riding with people better than me.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Took the day off to celebrate the forecast high being > 10F, and rode Kingdom Trails on the fatbike. Conditions were a-ma-zing! Go as soon as you can.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Good report formica! I ride with my husband, and friends join us (mostly... 100% of the time males). My pace is a little slower but I challenge myself to ride faster and more technical. I see the results of my efforts everytime I ride either trail or dh. 

Gorgeous pic Mtbxplorer. I would love to visit the Kingdom trails one day soon. I've heard so much about that area!


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## FrdSHOx3 (Sep 10, 2009)

mtbxplorer said:


> Took the day off to celebrate the forecast high being > 10F, and rode Kingdom Trails on the fatbike. Conditions were a-ma-zing! Go as soon as you can.


Be there Saturday- Winterbike! Can't wait!!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

cyclelicious said:


> Gorgeous pic Mtbxplorer. I would love to visit the Kingdom trails one day soon. I've heard so much about that area!


Thanks! I'm 60-90 minutes away, but have extra room! If you can get up there weekdays I'd recommend that, especially in summer.



FrdSHOx3 said:


> Be there Saturday- Winterbike! Can't wait!!


Enjoy! I won't be there this year, report back!


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## dbdg (Nov 6, 2014)

Today's ride will be on the triumph. But here is yesterday:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Well dang.... they built a trail and named it after me.


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## H2oChick (Dec 14, 2006)

Some people think we don't have seasons in So Cal ... a ride with the Trail Angels before the rain.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Wow, looks like spring!!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We had a steady increase in temps...we rode through puddles on the sidewalks and roads to get to the trails , which were hard packed snow.
Hopefully the temps will continue to increase. It won't be long the trails are too soft and wet 

From yesterday's ride


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^I love how you have campfires on your rides!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^I love how you have campfires on your rides!


It's a nice way to break up a ride and warm up a little


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

mtbxplorer said:


> I love that too, finally I can understand why my dog is going crazy, the deer are everywhere, and their main trails look like popular snowshoe routes.
> 
> I saw a porcupine Sunday when skijoring (apparently during cold snaps with high winds they get an urge to hang out in the treetops), 30 turkeys yesterday next to a parking lot, and 2 deer tonight walking to the bus in the capitol of VT in the blue light of dusk (I was taking the bus, not the deer).


Here's a crazy similar pic

I took this a year or 2 ago of a tree full of mourning doves


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Nice! Some big waxwing flocks have been spotted, so there is hope for spring. But record low here for the date today, -14F. I would like to keep fatbiking, but some teens or 20's would be OK. Awaiting word on campfire-ability on the local trails, hoping to hold an informal event I'm calling Ride S'more one night soon.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Got lot's of vitamin D on my weekend ride. Still plenty of ice and snow but the sunshine and warmer temps made it so much better

gorgeous day








on the river








slippery in sections








crow vs hawk ... the crow won!








the guys grilled some steaks... i enjoyed some grilled mushrooms








riding home


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

Whaaat? More details, please!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

It's so funny to see the fat bike photos. Meanwhile in the PNW our biking season started weeks early.

Today's story. I've gone on and on about the women's riding group scene here, getting it going and all that and it's amazing what has happened in a year. We had our Betties season opener at the bike shop on Friday night. You know you are off to a good start when LBS owner (a guy) provides this:








and









Our little facebook group now has over 220 members, up from zero this time last year. Gals are hooking up with little riding groups. It is amazing. In addition to bi-monthly rides, the co leader has planned fit clinics, maintenance days, enduro clinics for those gals, jerseys, stickers... lots going on.

Best part of this weekend is DH was out of town so I did whatever the hell I wanted all weekend long. Rode my bike, didn't do any chores, rinse, repeat.

A few us planned to ride Saturday morning which was a fine plan. One the way home, I got a text from one of my best buddies who lives 1.5 hours a way. She got a pass for the day to come up and ride... how convenient a ride is already planned. So we did a few laps Saturday morning, then some of the gals had to leave but she and I stayed and did some more.

I went back for more Sunday for more: one of my pals wanted to try my bike out so we did a few laps, trading bikes for a real test ride feel. I was feeling pretty done when she had to leave. Then we started talking to a gal in the parking lot who was riding solo while her hubby watched the kid - They were on their way back to Nelson and just had a few hours. I thought to myself.... "why are you going home?" (answer, no good reason to go) I sucked down a gu and a bar, and gave this gal a tour back up to the top (groan, one more time) and we had a blast.

I was toast.

Oh man, good times.


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

Such a pretty day today in Colorado Springs- it got up to around 85 degrees! The ABF (Awesome Boy Friend) and I decided to squeeze in a ride to Palmer Park before heading over to his mom's place for Easter dinner. Since it was so warm, I wore a nice light short sleeve jersey and instead of my usual wool socks put on a pair of light and slippery SockGuy socks to keep my feet cool (they say "Caffeine or Death" on them... hehe)

Pedaling up the first trail, which is one of the few in the park that is relatively level, we started through a small rock garden. As I was on the downstroke with my right pedal I realized that I was going to have a pedal strike on a rock that was too close to my line. I pulled my foot up to back-pedal and thanks to my thin, slippery socks I pulled my heel out of my shoe! (yes, I ride clipless). Well, of course I figured if my heel came out of the shoe, then I should be able to push it back in again, right? So I tried to push down and put my foot back into the shoe, unsuccessfully, and in the process lost all my momentum, stalled, and started falling left. Managed to jerk my left shoe out of the pedal clip, landed off the side of the trail on a downslope and my left foot twisted sideways and completely out of THAT shoe! Meanwhile my right shoe, still attached to my right pedal, finished coming off my right foot and I found myself standing on the trail in my socks wondering "WTH just happened here????"


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

lol great images!! I am wondering kind of cute socks you had on.


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

Mountain bike is in the shop, so I took the road bike out for her first ride this season. It was a beautiful day - just gorgeous. 50 degrees, bright and sunny, snow still crested the mountains on the horizon. I zoned out and fell into a rhythm. Absolutely glorious and, perhaps, the first time in over 7 months that my leg hasn't been in pain. 

The headwind coming back was evil - just evil, but we triumphed. And in that triumph, I pulled up to a stop sign and attempted to unclip...the funny thing about breaking legs/ankles is that they lose muscle memory on top of range of motion. Sure enough...I went to unclip...and it just doesn't twist that way anymore. I fell, slow motion style, in front of several cars and a bus load of skiers heading up the mountain. Luckily, it is the last day of the ski season and so I feigned being completely intoxicated. Many laughed and gave thumbs up. I rode up the mountain and, upon arriving home, found a nice patch of grass to fall onto.

I will need to figure out how to solve this little ROM problem tomorrow :thumbsup:


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Snow is almost all gone... searching for signs of spring on today's Easter ride


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Enjoying everyone's pix and stories!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

gabrielle said:


> Whaaat? More details, please!


Dang! They went and did it. A couple of our builders put in a new tecchy trial and named it after me

Penny Lane. It's fun - just enough spots where you need to make good friends with the trail to be able to do them. A good goal would be the whole trail without a dab.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> Dang! They went and did it. A couple of our builders put in a new tecchy trial and named it after me
> 
> Penny Lane. It's fun - just enough spots where you need to make good friends with the trail to be able to do them. A good goal would be the whole trail without a dab.
> 
> View attachment 978979


Ahhh, love the name! Congrats!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Stripes said:


> Rocking a clinic with Kat Sweet of Sweetlines
> View attachment 978845


Isn't Kat amazing?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Are you doing privates with her?


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

The riding at Hartmans has been amazing. Dry, sexy, rocky, sandy, fabulous. It's been an amazing recovery. And being back on the bike a few months ahead of schedule? Beyond amazing. Dr. Griggs, you sure know how to put a leg back together!















It was also the first ride with the new wider handlebars? Amazing! I'm 5 foot 1 on a good day...And, despite my friends declarations that anything over 685mm would be too wide for me, I have to say, that 711 with a 35 stem rocks my world. Don't let anyone ever tell you what will/won't work for you.









The husband had fun as well 









The next day, there were snow fields and corn on the mountain.








And the Kira bear? The best ski/bike partner on four legs? She was tired...very tired. Her brother, Dusty, was very tired too.









Spring/Off season in the mountains rocks :thumbsup:


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Nice pics and great recovery Snowgypsy


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Today's ride: Searching for signs of spring

Daffodils are poking out









Warm enough for shorts (finally) but not warm enough to melt the ice









Robin is worm hunting and getting ready for nest building


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Pretty tired of postholing, but I can't bear to wear snowshoes to walk the dog in the woods in mid April. Anywhere from zero to 2' of snow at my house (the 1700' elevation delays spring), but at least I am commuting on the cross bike instead of the MTB with studded tires!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Here is DH getting fitted on his birthday present. If it were up to him, he'd be on his current steed until the frame broke. He's the primary income earner so swinging this as a surprise was a challenge but I managed it. There's a point where you have to let them know what's going on for demo purposes, but I was able to keep **exactly** what is was a surprise to the very end.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

formica said:


> Here is DH getting fitted on his birthday present. If it were up to him, he'd be on his current steed until the frame broke. He's the primary income earner so swinging this as a surprise was a challenge but I managed it. There's a point where you have to let them know what's going on for demo purposes, but I was able to keep **exactly** what is was a surprise to the very end.
> 
> View attachment 981633


Formica, you ROCK!! Lucky guy! I guess both of you are lucky!! This has so much the feel of Aloha!!!

Might I add. This is a perfect example of it's not about the bike, it's the nut behind the wheel that determines how much or how little fun is had.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

There was that awkward moment a few weeks ago that involved some really blown parts after a ride, on the way to LBS for potentially $$$ in repairs. "Uh honey... I need to tell you something. I've been squirreling away for yr birthday..." Fun times.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Nice!!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^wonderful surprise!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Formica - that is awesome! Ride report? He must be so stoked :thumbsup:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I didn't get to go on the first ride....I had to leave right away. So I'm here visiting mom and he's biking his brains out. I do know there was a mysterious chain breakage on the very first ride and that's taken care of. I told him not to get crazy. We do not need any more punches on the orthopedic surgeon's punch card.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Some pre-season trailwork today, handsawed a blowdown, pick-up-stix, drainage clearing, old signage removal. Still some snow and mud out there, so I have some more time to work on my adopted trails at Millstone before opening day (TBD). I brought my dog and he did not chase any deer- yay!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> I didn't get to go on the first ride....I had to leave right away. So I'm here visiting mom and he's biking his brains out. I do know there was a mysterious chain breakage on the very first ride and that's taken care of. I told him not to get crazy. We do not need any more punches on the orthopedic surgeon's punch card.


Chain breakage, eh? Just as long as that's all he does. I'm sure your first ride will be terrific!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> Some pre-season trailwork today, handsawed a blowdown, pick-up-stix, drainage clearing, old signage removal. Still some snow and mud out there, so I have some more time to work on my adopted trails at Millstone before opening day (TBD). I brought my dog and he did not chase any deer- yay!


Our first club meeting of the year to discuss upcoming trail work is tomorrow - can't wait!

Had a great ride today and saw plenty of deer your dog would have loved


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

petey15 said:


> Our first club meeting of the year to discuss upcoming trail work is tomorrow - can't wait!
> 
> Had a great ride today and saw plenty of deer your dog would have loved


And some pics of your dog's favorite nemesis and me enjoying this beautiful April day.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^excellent pics petey! I love those turtles!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We rode in the Don River Valley, Toronto. Great turnout of riders! We spotted a fire in the distance and called it in. Always an exciting adventure

Trails were hard (clay) and fast








Shore riding








Fire spotted just to the right of this bridge shot








Scooby-do gang called it in








Chillin by the Rocket


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Nice! I love how you have campfires at the end of your rides - although maybe you didn't yesterday? We had fire alerts this weekend, since it had been so dry. No chance of that now - rain forecasted for the entire week.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

petey15 said:


> ^ Nice! I love how you have campfires at the end of your rides - although maybe you didn't yesterday? We had fire alerts this weekend, since it had been so dry. No chance of that now - rain forecasted for the entire week.


We had a nice little fire going after the ride. Temperature dropped by the end of the day so it was comforting. It has been raining since last night. Rain in the forecast all this week


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

petey15 said:


> And some pics of your dog's favorite nemesis and me enjoying this beautiful April day.


Great photos! Did some trailwork yesterday and there is still snow and puddles, not to mention mud, so it will be a late opening day this year at Millstone. On the plus side, "Keeper" was a good boy during trailwork, and also did not chase 3 deer we saw on our morning walk today. Your turtles are cute, and nice action shots too!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

We had our biggest turnout ever last night!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Wow! Very cool.

Our trails are not ready yet but I did a lap around the field yesterday to try out the new bikejor attachment. So far so good.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ sweet!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Stripes said:


> Send the rain here if you don't want it. Seriously dry here.


The rain is doing it's job melting the ice and snow .... so I shouldn't complain. But I will try and send some you some extra rain


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Nice long ride and more signs of spring

Wee flowers... first sign of colour








Fiddleheads are not poking up yet. Needs another week








Enjoying the ride. Sunny and blue skies








One of 6 bridges we crossed








Fantastic day


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Nice, cyclelicious! Are you wearing Shredly shorts? What do you think of them? And love your Stylus! I have to say, I've been having a lot of fun bombing around on my old Giant Yukon hardtail and am so disappointed that everyone seems to be dropping 26" hardtails. Not sure what I'm going to do when ol' Jack dies...


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I ordered them on line. the Shredley's arrived last week. I like them. the 3/4 length works for me. Waistband is adjustable. They have a nice stretch. I followed the sizing chart and it was accurate. 

The Stylus is now my do-everything-bike. I was a little nervous going from fs to ht but since riding it in all conditions ... I'm ok. It is a little heavier (steel frame) but I found it's surprisingly easier on climbs. One adaptation I've made is that I wear a padded liner


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weekend riding and the continuous search for signs of spring

River is deep and the banks are green








Trout lilies! So pretty








Fiddleheads are just starting to poke








Happy shorts 








Robins have moved into my house


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

It went from spring to summer this past week and someone really turned up the thermostat this weekend. Everything is now blooming in earnest in the NE - it's about time! I've finally enjoyed some rides in short sleeves and shorts. Even saw a brush fire on my way back home afterwards from the park - sparked from a passing train. Not something we're used to seeing around here.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Since I have no kids at home anymore, and no family in town, my Mother's Day treat looked something like







All the ups were fireroads, all the downs singletrack.
I'm not sure what possessed me to put together this loop. I'm incredibly strong this year... probably since we've been biking since December. I also consider it training for Seven Summits this summer.

For the very last section, we split up. My hubby wanted to go check on the "cliff of death" section that we haven't ridden in 15 years, to see if it was as bad as we remembered it. Me, I went the other (usual) way which was fine until I got to here:








This was really hard to do all by myself.

Fun day, though. I managed my intake of food and drink really really well; stayed cool with a new neck cooler towel, and really had a blast.

P.S. The Cliffs of Death are still the Cliffs of Death.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Wow! Formica! That's a *****in ride. Lots of climbing there.


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

Dang lady, that is a sexy bike.


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## Golf_Chick (Aug 22, 2013)

Cycled up and round Innerleithen, just myself and the dog and a great day for it!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Cool trail, pic, bike and dog!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

They've been building some fun new tech trails. I'm not sure if building is the right term. It's more like enhancing the existing terrain for tech trails. DH and I have been having a lot of fun trying out the new lines. Here he is on the "Gnar-Wall". He's been up here a few times; yesterday was my first day on it. It's only 2-3x longer than any slab like that I've ridden before. I was a little heavy on the brakes (!!) but had a clean run nonetheless. Once you do it the first time....

Anyway, here's the instagram version


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

It was a holiday long weekend in Ontario, which means an extra day of riding 

In addition to a nice ride, we discovered a patch of morels and we picked some ramps (will be tasty in a stirfry)


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

"Invalid attachment"


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## mtbjenlynn (Feb 24, 2015)

That looks awesome! So pretty and great shredding!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Rode with the dog yesterday at Millstone, and worked on trail crew today. Yesterday "Keeper" flushed a turkey, today he brought back a couple of deer bones. A pic at #6 granite quarry on ledges trail, and my boots - 1 after trailwork, and 1 after saddlesoap.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Beautiful weather for shredding at our local bike park









First shakedown ride on the new Operator. Tighten down the lid









fresh crop of poison ivy... don't wander off the trail 









The bike handles differently than the Syren. 








I like how it felt in the berms and for drops








Fast on flat stretches








I'm not used to jumping. I did manage to get a little airtime (at the end of the weekend) on the Collector tabletop. But I still need to find that sweet spot of comfort and speed


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

You know that "couples ride" video that Dakine put out a few years ago?

Well, this is my SO and I after a couples ride on Sunday









We pretty much had the DH tracks to ourself which was great because I spent a lot of the time sessioning things. This is my fourth time riding DH and my second time riding these tracks (not exactly the easiest ones to learn on, but definitely the most accessible - guess its a fair compromise) - I think I'm improving and it's nice to have more experienced people to ride with 

I also got my first downhill OTB out of the way onto some nice big rocks... neck brace did it's job! :thumbsup:


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Ha! That last one needs to be a meme or in a caption contest.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Keep shreddin' asterope


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^Ha! That last one needs to be a meme or in a caption contest.


hehehe  the last pic is my fave too!

Hoping I can get enough writing done over the weekend so I can head out there again on monday for the long weekend/Queens birthday public holiday


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Gorgeous weather for weekend shredding. The rain held off until the last lap today. I'm loving how my new sled carves the berms and today I felt faster and stronger win win :thumbsup:


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Woot woot!!! Awesome, 'licious!


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

perfect weather and what a view!!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Short Story:
Last night, I was asked to teach my first private session! Very cool. Unfortunately I won't do it. I teach as a volunteer under my club's insurance and park permit. To go outside of that under the table is a can worms I don't even want to open. I could take a donation to my club, but it's still my time I have to think about. I was very flattered, though.


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

Rides this week were amazing. It took a bit of sneaking to escape the storm clouds, but it was well worth it. Techy, rocky, teeth-shattering climbs followed by fast, rooty descents? Yes, please! We are actually building a new trail tomorrow!

An extra 1K of flowy, surfy singletrack just up that dirt road! Pictures will come tomorrow :thumbsup:

















And new pedals! Canfield Crampon Ultimates. I adore them. Sticky and low profile - maybe a bit too sticky...









The joy of exploring new terrain and planning work days was tarnished, however, by an older gentleman/tourist eating a gel atop my favorite climb.

I reach the top of the climb and prepare to continue descent #2 + climb #2; I have to pass this gentleman as he is parked along the trial. As I pass, he stops me...because my pedals and bike are "wrong."

"Have you ever tried clipless pedals," he asks suddenly, walking towards me. "Or are you another one of those DH junkies?"

Slightly taken a back, I say, "excuse me?"

He actually grabs my handlebars. Now I'm uncomfortable.

"Your pedals. They're wrong," he says. "Have you ever tried them? You probably haven't tried them."

"I rode clipless for years," I tell him. "But I never liked them. And after breaking both ankles...they just don't turn that way any more. I race xc, enduro, and dh on these things. I love them."

"You should be riding clipless. You can't ride this trail otherwise."

"Well, I live here. I ride this trail trail almost every other day. I.."

"If you were serious about mountain biking, you'd have the right equipment..."

It went on like this for another minute (a critique of my bike, etc.). Then, I politely asked if he was done and said I needed to keep going.

Let me stress that this was a complete stranger that I was trying to get past to continue my climb. And yes, these are the words that are shared.

Awkward.This isn't the first uncomfortable conversation I've had with a new comer/tourist/second homeowner on a trail ride. It's very upsetting.

Whether its surprise that I built that trail or know the area well, or negative remarks regarding skill/gear/etc...it bothers me, having my knowledge, skill, and equipment second-guessed. I hope that this is just a matter of ignorance and not a matter of gender (maybe he just doesn't like all mountain bikes?) but it feels that way.

I doubt any stranger would approach my husband and critique/question his choice of bike/pedals. It didn't ruin my ride, but it did make me wonder if he would have been as aggressive if I would have been amongst my regular riding group...Do I wear my male riding buddies as shield against the [email protected]# of the world?

I went out the next day and cleaned climbs I would have never dared before. Take that silly people.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Great pix snowgypsy!



snowgypsy said:


> The joy of exploring new terrain and planning work days was tarnished, however, by an older gentleman/tourist eating a gel atop my favorite climb.
> ... As I pass, he stops me...because my pedals and bike are "wrong."...
> He actually grabs my handlebars. Now I'm uncomfortable.


Wow, an extremely rude, clueless and privileged person :madmax: He probably won't learn unless someone decides to protect their personal space with some bear spray.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

snowgypsy- I rode clip less pedals for a few years, too. While I appreciated them in some ways, I didn't feel like my technique was improving and my confidence went way down as I was always stressing about falling and not up clipping in time. I made the decision to switch back to flats, and never looked back. 
I too have run into people who seemed to feel it was their duty to inform me about clip less pedals and how they'd make me faster. But, I'm not racing, I'd say. I don't care how fast I'm going. If I wanted to be faster, I could probably eliminate the arsenal of tools and kitchen sink I insist on carrying. I don't understand why people can't just let you enjoy yourself?


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

*Moving*

I recently made the move from El Paso to Idaho and here are a few of the pictures along the way. I was able to make stops in Durango and Moab. If you haven't been to Moab recently, do yourself a favor and plan a trip. They keep adding more and more singletrack. I was there last fall and rode an entirely new 18 mile loop that connects with their mag 7 system. Thankfully both those trail systems hold up to rain very well.

And Idaho... well, it's been awesome. The lake picture is actually from a hike in the Sawtooth wilderness... so don't ride there! But I had to include it because the scenery was so amazing. Don't worry... I did a 20 mile ride across the road first!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Where in Idaho are you? I ride north/ north central ID backcountry quite a bit.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

I'm living in Hailey and working in Ketchum. This place rocks!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

You lucky dog you!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Trails were too wet for DH so we did a local ride. It's been several weeks since we rode these trails. Whoa! It was like a jungle... the mosquitos were ravenous as well.... no time to stop


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## Sarah Ireland (Jun 13, 2015)

Hi I am new to the Forum. I love these photos. I will share some of mine.

My biking partner is my dog. Sometimes My husband comes with me but he is not that into it. Here we are going down the trail.



The trail got a little rocky.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Nice! Colorado? Just hazarding a guess.


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## Sarah Ireland (Jun 13, 2015)

Me? I am in Lake Tahoe that's where that photo was taken a downhill to Christmas valley. 

Mountains out west all kind of look the same.


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

My SO, Devo and I went hiking yesterday because we could not agree on where (or what) we wanted to ride. I put my foot down and decided we would walk one of the more remote management trails in the national park that we live near - because it's one of the only ones I hadn't hiked and wanted to see if it was as steep as the neighbouring tracks. It was overcast, misty and drizzly as we descended into the creek - then we started climbing... the sun came out and it was ridiculously warm and humid for the rest of the walk

Not only was it as steep as the neighbouring tracks... it was MUCH longer! 2.5 hours to walk 9.7kms - gradients from 15% up to 41%! Anything less than 10kms is a short hike for me but those gradients really take it out of you! And I forgot my trekking poles so my back is not happy with me at this present moment :nono:

I had previously considered linking the neighbouring trail with this one for some hard XC training climbing/descending... ummm. No. I think I would spend 90% of the time pushing my bike up those ridiculously steep hills - at least the descents would end with a refreshing creek swim


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## Golf_Chick (Aug 22, 2013)

Did some fantastic riding the other week in Scotland, blurb about it is all on my blog


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks for sharing your blog link golfchick, and glad you are doing well since that nasty crash!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

We did the first true backcountry ride of the season. Things are open due to low snow, but it is a matter whether the downfall has been cleared out or not.
I was able to share a favorite trail with some friends who have been sharing trails with me. That was super fun. Plus, introduced a gal to the concept of a backcountry ride and she loved it.

This particular ride is 8 miles along a ridge, with the opportunity to bag two peaks. The trails rolls right over a third. Then there is a four mile singletrack downhill. We still had a 10 mile ride back out.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Scenery looks breathtaking, formica. I'm not familiar with the term "backcountry riding" Does it mean less-travelled trails? hike-bike?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

What I mean by is any of that. Not well travelled, maybe not in a guidebook, definitely no cell service, not close to a populated area, usually many miles down a forest road for the trailhead; certainly you should be prepared for slow/no/self evacuation and carry the ten essentials plus carry bear spray, don't take stupid risks. There's always hike a bike, but that's not one of my requirements. 
As compared to an in-town, well used, busy, cell coverage, 911 just down the road kind of trail. 

Does that compute for you?


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha, continuing to enjoy this thread. Have ridden in Ketchum area, Stanley, Sun Valley. Moab and all over CO (mainly Crested Butte). Keep 'um coming. Being out here in Hawaii, it's a pain to travel anywhere to ride so I just keep riding here...........


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

We did another huge alpine ride this weekend, Seven Summits in Rossland BC (IMBA epic)
After last weeks' ride I knew I was up for it... except for the record heat that hit us. DH convinced me to go, I said yes under the condition that I know I'm f*cked in the heat and I'd take it at my own pace.

We got an ultra early start. The trail only opened about two weeks ago, and it's already moon dust. The scenery and flowers were amazing. Most of the climbing is pretty buff, and most of the descent chunky/rocky and pretty technical. Depending on who you talk to, it's "brutal" and "relentless".... and then you meet the local who does it in three hours for a Saturday AM ride. Hah. Not us. We loved the hard parts and had a blast on them.

We each took a gallon of water and tons and tons of electrolytes. We made it through the day unscathed and ran out of water at the top of the last few mile descent.

We got back to town and it was 95 in town. We went home to sleep in AC, where it was 102. If this keeps up the riding season will be over fast.

Here are some pics.
DH, Old Glory in the background.














Rocks.
(this was an "hubby has the camera going, can't stop now!" moment)







meadows full of flowers...


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## FrdSHOx3 (Sep 10, 2009)

Just curious Formica- how far do you have to travel from home to get to these trails?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Pretty close. Seven Summits is 2.5 hrs, the one from last week our rendezvous spot it 1.5 hrs from the house. I live right at the edge of the mountains.

These are out weekend adventures, not my "go,out after work with the gals" rides.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Searching for Elvis at the bike park

Beautiful day for shredding at our local dh park 








Trails were mint. Tacky and not dusty








About a dozen laps 








Got faster as the day went on








Meanwhile back in the Village....Elvis was free range








And shakin it up








Elvis loves dh and dirty girls 








Awesome day


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Elvis!! Nice. I sure wish we'd get tacky around here. The moondust gets deeper and deeper....

Anyway, we went off on anther road trip a couple of weeks ago. This time we went into the Boulder White Clouds in central Idaho, near the Sawtooth area. These trails have been used by mountain bikers forever, and we stand to lose them as the area is up for re designation as "manage as wilderness". It's been a long fight, and one of the senators changed sides over to the Sierra club end of things and it looks like we are doomed to lose these trails now. Our trip organizer made sure to plan to hit the trails that stand to be closed. If you care to write your senator regarding this upcoming bill, that would be awesome. Every little bit might help.
https://www.imba.com/alert/speak-out-against-bike-banning-federal-wilderness

on to the photos...(some of these were taken by our trip planner)
Germania Peak in the background.









Looking into Chamberlain basin, Castle Peak in the background. We "biked" up to about 9500' (pushing up the grade for the last mile at that altitude!!)










Looking into Antz Basin, 10000'










Dropping into Antz Basin









The meadows were amazing... they went on for miles...









Fisher-Williams loop will remain outside the wilderness boundary.









We spent three days riding around in here.

full album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103198...authkey=Gv1sRgCMSVu_bkwJXe2wE&feat=directlink


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Good pics Formica!

We got alot of rain in July but that's going to change. Heat wave started today.... rest of the week will be mid 30c (mid 90F+)
Many of the dh trails at this park are shaded so it's tolerable


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

Thought I would share some photos of the weekend just passed... round 5 of the DH races for the local region.

I was there supporting my SO as it was his first DH race and had my photographer hat on - so I perched my arse on a rock for several hours to get some shots Four ladies raced on the weekend. The track is notorious for breaking people and quite a few broken bones were noted during the weekend and the two open days beforehand.

The mornings practice was shadowed by drizzle which made the more technical parts of the track slippery and greasy. They were going to call off the race but luckily the sun came out and it was awesome!

It's my turn to get my first DH race out of the way in three weeks... kinda excited!!

Heres some photos of the chickies!


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

*White Clouds*

I was out yesterday aiming for a big loop on Castle Divide and then back on a trail the runs along one of the creeks. Unfortunately almost as soon as I dropped from the saddle, where the last picture was taken, I ran across a group with a hiker who had a open ankle fracture. We got him back up to the saddle and he was able to cruise slowly down 4-5 miles on my mountain bike. A motorcyclist took him the last mile back to there car.
Consider writing your Congressman/Senator... Castle Divide and Antz Basin are special.













PeopleForBikes | Protect Idaho Mountain Biking


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Mountain bike to the rescue! 

Great pix all, enjoying the scenery and women riding!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

kinsler said:


> I was out yesterday aiming for a big loop on Castle Divide and then back on a trail the runs along one of the creeks. Unfortunately almost as soon as I dropped from the saddle, where the last picture was taken, I ran across a group with a hiker who had a open ankle fracture. We got him back up to the saddle and he was able to cruise slowly down 4-5 miles on my mountain bike. A motorcyclist took him the last mile back to there car.
> Consider writing your Congressman/Senator... Castle Divide and Antz Basin are special.
> 
> View attachment 1004939
> ...


Aloha, Super coolio. Another reminder that we can all get along and help each other out.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

kinsler said:


> I was out yesterday aiming for a big loop on Castle Divide and then back on a trail the runs along one of the creeks. Unfortunately almost as soon as I dropped from the saddle, where the last picture was taken, I ran across a group with a hiker who had a open ankle fracture. We got him back up to the saddle and he was able to cruise slowly down 4-5 miles on my mountain bike. A motorcyclist took him the last mile back to there car.
> Consider writing your Congressman/Senator... Castle Divide and Antz Basin are special.
> 
> View attachment 1004939
> ...


Kinsler, is that your home turf? Wow. You also had much better light that we did for photos.


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## Sarah Ireland (Jun 13, 2015)

I went out yesterday. I was going to just do a short ride.My husband dropped me off at the Armstrong connector tail head. Well I decided I had more time. I went 4 hours 21 miles and finished at my house thats the best part. It's so awesome these trails are all a bike ride away.

I highly recommend this trail its Armstrong pass to TRT take that to Star Lake and go down Cold Creek. It was awesome! Once I got up it was all down hill for miles. If you are ever in South Lake check it out.

Here is the top. My bike partner is in the shade. 
FullSizeRender 9 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr

FullSizeRender 8 by Sarah Ireland, on Flickr


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

formica said:


> Kinsler, is that your home turf? Wow. You also had much better light that we did for photos.


It is now! I got an early start and brought the nice camera with me!


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## snowgypsy (Jun 5, 2011)

Today was a hard day in CB. A well known competitor in the Enduro World Series crashed on course (hit a tree) and died as a result of his injuries. The EWS canceled the race.

I felt utterly sick to my stomach this morning...my husband had crashed into a tree downhilling just the other day and walked away laughing...those inches...how could this happen? Why? Maybe it isn't worth it...maybe it's never worth it...Then, I woke up to this:









100+ riders (competitors, visitors, race directors, and locals) gathered together this morning and rode Strand hill in his memory. There was no major announcement. A local doctor posted on his facebook that they would ride for Will this morning...100's of people showed up.

This is a beautiful sport and an incredible community and I adore each of you. Ride hard, long, and always with joy. Be safe and keep riding. This community and the world needs your wheels and your passion.

RIP Will. You are missed horribly by your friends, your family, and those whom you never met but touched through racing in some way... and I will never ride Strand or race again without thinking of you.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Oh geez, sorry to hear about this. Good to see people coming together, though.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Snowgypsy-

I can't imagine how hard this weekend must of been for the CB biking community. I did that race last year and had a few hard crashes that I walked away from. Definitely makes you really think about risk and how we live our lives.

adventure journal - In Defense of Taking Risks

adventure journal - Thoughts on Honoring the Dead, and the Living


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## 2Canches (Feb 21, 2015)

Left got us here








Sent from my silver iPad Air 1 in a http://www.red.org/en/ smart case using an app called Tapatalky


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A huge storm front rolled in while we were at the bike park on Sunday... we squeezed in about 8 laps.

























The trails at the bike park were too greasy to ride the next day (Monday was a civic holiday) so we did something different and rode a local rail trail (approx 40km) At the half way point we explored and old railway yard


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

Cyclelicious - That storm would have made you ride quickly! hehehe  I both love and loathe riding in storms - trees have a habit of losing branches. 

Also - That looks like an awesome little ride along the rail trail - loving seeing all these lovely summer photos of these scenic rides!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I tested my new rocket socks... they definitely helped me ride faster 

















Fantastic day of shredding!


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

So here's a few pictures from the past few days. If you have a chance to get to Idaho this summer, do it. These to rides are world class and will soon be closed to bikes.

These are few are from my ride today- Antz Basin. I've been upset about the wilderness designation and decided I needed a "personal" day. Didn't see a soul once I turned off the main trail.





















These two are from Castle Divide... definitely a top 5 all time ride.















Fortunately there is still literally 100s of trails to ride, but these two are definitely special.
IMBA couldn't protect these trails... time for someone else, enough is enough
FIX AMERICA?S TRAIL SYSTEM


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Wow, gorgeous photos and trails. Sorry about their impending loss.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

I think, like most people, you love what you know. And if you don't get a chance to ride and love new trails, how are you supposed to want to protect them? I ride on a few multi-purpose trails in my area and the thing that always strikes me is it's the mountain bikers that maintain and build the trails - not the hikers and not the horseback riders. I feel like the land managers are doing themselves a huge disservice preventing mountain bikers from riding the trails. If you want people to appreciate the wilderness - expose them to it.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

petey15 said:


> I think, like most people, you love what you know. And if you don't get a chance to ride and love new trails, how are you supposed to want to protect them? I ride on a few multi-purpose trails in my area and the thing that always strikes me is it's the mountain bikers that maintain and build the trails - not the hikers and not the horseback riders. I feel like the land managers are doing themselves a huge disservice preventing mountain bikers from riding the trails. If you want people to appreciate the wilderness - expose them to it.


Exactly. I don't need the government to tell me what wilderness is and I certainly don't need the Sierra Club or any other anti-bike conversation group to tell me how I should experience our public land. However, we certainly have a responsibility to move through these lands gently, just as I would if I were bc skiing, hiking or on a river trip.
The assault on public land and the environment is constant and division among user groups only hurts the cause. Public lands are grossly underfunded. The wilderness act is does not offer absolute protection- take a look at the grazing map that goes with the new wilderness area or the impending mining to be done in the Frank Church Wilderness. To know a place is to love it.

mtbexplorer- losing Castle Divide is like losing 401 and Doctor's combined.
Fortunately we still have literally 100s of miles to ride... and there's a Teocalli ridge outside the wilderness border that is sure to put a ridiculous grin on your face!


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

*Downieville!*

I went to Downieville for the first time this weekend. It was awesome! Did a run on Sat and one on Sun and went down things I never thought I could do. I don't really have any action shots, but do have these!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

nice pics and big smiles laine. I've heard Downieville is a great place to ride!


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

*First DH race out of the way!*

I decided to give DH racing a crack. Our local mtb club hosted one of the regional races on a beginners track we call "beeries" - it's a fun little track that can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be. There was a massive turnout for under 19's and a huge turnout for the ladies (7 signed up, but only 5 made it to the actual race - thats massive around here!)

I got a good few practice runs in on the saturday and hit some lines that I had not done before (i.e. a rock ramp/kicker that shoots you into a rock garden... looked terrifying at first, but was actually really really really easy.)

Had a tussle with another rider during the seeding run (she overtook me twice, crashed in front of me twice as soon as she overtook me - I got around her the first time but the second I had nowhere to go and we ended up with our brake levers tangled)

I had a perfectly clean run for my race run and beat my seeding time by 28 seconds. I'm looking forward to having another go at this DH race thing in a months time... it's way more fun than XC racing! hehehe


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Congrats on your race Asterope! Lookin so rad


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Congrats Asterope! Great photos.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Woo hoo, Asterope - that's great stuff!


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

Thanks cyclelicious, mtbxplorer and petey15 - still feeling the stoke... can't wait for the next one!


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

And another weekend on the big bike!

We got a neat little crew together to check out a commonly-used but not officially sanctioned track about 25 minutes from my house. It was my first time out there, and whilst the track itself is not technically difficult (probably the easiest I've ridden in terms of declination, obstacles and lines), the track substrate was the roughest I have ridden - I mean loose, gravelly and fine dust - the kind that slips out from under your wheels if you even dare to look at it the wrong way.

All that lovely loose gravel ended me up in a ditch on my third run down 

Highlights: Being shown the ropes, all the good lines and getting a fun mornings social riding in with one of this countries best female riders. Also - watching her casually flying over the road gaps... like it was nothing...









As it's so close to home and the shuttle route is reasonably short, this is going to become a regular track for me!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^Wow! Wish I could fly like that!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Niiiiicceee!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I had a faaabbbbuuuulllloouuuss weekend.
We kind of lost the month of August with the horrendous fires and smoke conditions. There was a couple of days of rain (ish, not much) so things are better. Much of the forest is still closed. Anyway....

Off for another backcountry adventure. I feel very lucky that we have a friend who has a cabin in a remote area that that excellent trails that are off the radar. So only locals ride them, more or less. At three hours away I'm not really a local but I do support their club. There were four of us. JM linked up three different trails for an amazing ride. We ended up doing 20 miles with 5300 feet of descending on a point to point ride. The FS trail crew had recently reworked about 75% of the trail by and and mini ex this summer so it was fricken amazing. There was one section of hikeabike that was old fall line narrow deep rutted trail but hopefull they'll get that done too.

In this pano, I'm looking out towards the ridge that we are going to ride as part of our descent:









Here's a little map. The different colors are different numbered trails.








Second day we did a fun little local loop purpose built for mountain bikers by said local club. It was a fun fun trail. Ultra fun as one of our group is still nursing her baby and it was just her 4th time out this summer. Her hub had gone with us on the big ride so we all wanted to make sure she got out too.


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

I rode in clipless pedals for the first time today. (I normally ride in Freeriders and Spike Spank pedals.) I rode around on a field first - making small circles and just clipping in and out for 30 mins. Then I figured I'd try the trail. I was definitely slower, tentative, cautious - but i really could feel the difference, especially on the short steep little annoying climbs, where I would sometimes gas out. Did about 6.5 miles to get used to them, and felt pretty good. I did clip out on some of the downhill switchbacks, and I chickened out on a few technical things - but I'm fine starting off slow and working up to it.

I went with SPDs for the first purchase, and there were times where I was struggling to find the clip-in, but I assume that will get better with use/practice? My boyfriend swears by Time Atacs, but the guy at the shop said the SPDs were a good place to start.

Excited to try again either tomorrow or next weekend!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Make sure to set the release is set loose and to keep it lubed


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Did some bikejoring on my camping vacation in Maine. Biked to hiking trailheads from the campsite on the old paper company roads and explored other lakes via ATV trails. My dog loves it and it keeps him from getting in trouble with moose. Paddling, hiking, and lake lounging were also on the agenda.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Even tho it's October and the light is fading fast, our riding group Biking Betties is going STRONG! Ten riders last night! Last night we mostly noodled around for an hour just playing on big and little rocks.

They think I'm crazy 'cuz I'll nab a nameless rider to take a group photo, every time.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Beautiful pics mtbxplorer! Your dog is a champ! I used to have to keep my dog, Rocky (a JRT) on a long leash because of coyotes.

Nice group shot formica. Everyone looks stoked


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

mtbxplorer, those are some great pics. You live in a beautiful place.

formica, those are some happy ladies. I miss riding with gals. It's the best!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks for the pic and dog compliments, cyclelicious & Fuzzle! Leaf peepers are suddenly out in full force, and our trail crew will be leafblowing soon, it goes so fast.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Looks like a playful rider, too. Enjoy!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

@mtbxplorer...did any of those paper company roads take you to Baxter State Park? It's been close to 20 years since I enjoyed that area. Great pics!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^The Nahmakanta state lands I explored are just south of Baxter state park. I picked it because I love the area, but Baxter has a strict no pets policy for the wildlife's sake per Gov Baxter's bequest. Adjoining Nahmakanta are many acres conserved by the Nature Conservancy & Appalachian Mtn Club. Before I got the dog I did a super bikepacking/hiking/kayaking trip in Baxter. It's in installments here if you scroll down http://forums.mtbr.com/bikepacking-bike-expedition/my-first-bikepacking-adventure-703956.html


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Stripes said:


> First ride on the HD3. Definitely a playful bike.
> Untitled by Stripes The Tiger Cub, on Flickr


Awesome Pic! I wish I could do that. Enjoy!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Rockin' the HD3, Stripes!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Quite the changes in the northeast, and I'm not just talking about the leaves. Temperatures were in the low 40s (Farenheit) and low 30s today with snow! Still, I love riding this time of year. The park is virtually empty and I get the trails practically to myself without the fear of hunters.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ That was a 6-point buck that was just ahead of me on the trail. I stopped, hopped off my bike and backed up quite a bit before taking the shot.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Nice shot of the buck! And nice air too! A little snow here in VT also, and 18F tonight! A chilly bikecommute tomorrow, I think the pogies are coming out to keep my hands warm.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ I think my fat bike will be coming out soon. Damp leaves don't do much for traction 😉


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Those are great shots petey! Nice air!


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## shredchic (Jun 18, 2007)

Stripes said:


> First ride on the HD3.... Stripes The Tiger Cub


Yeah!!!  Ibis featured your photo on their Instagram account. Such a great shot!

Petey - love the fall color! Miss the eastern US.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^thanks, Shredchic and Fuzzle! I do feel fortunate, although I would love to get out west sometime to ride


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Beautiful day in the hood.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Fuzzle said:


> Beautiful day in the hood.


Yes it is!


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## Sarah Ireland (Jun 13, 2015)

I played here today. I just did little jumps and worked on my pumping skills.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Sarah Ireland said:


> I played here today. I just did little jumps and worked on my pumping skills.


Looks like fun! I still have yet to learn to jump.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Went on a group ride with the trail association yesterday, and decided to take the dog on his first group ride. As you may recall, my dog is not reliable, and apt to make his own adventures, so I told the group to carry on if I dropped off. There were 5 people and 3 dogs, and I was pleased that he got along with the dogs and did not get in anyone's way (he generally runs out in front). He did leave the group 3 times, but at least it was for 5-10 minutes, not 45. From his tracker collar I could tell he got about 350 yards away max, and his max speed was 25 mph.

In the evening, I turned the BMX into E.T.'s ride by adding a milk crate to the front and a paper bag as E.T. I put on blue jeans and a hoody for a fun and easy costume. Riding to the gathering was fun.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Beautiful 1st of November day in the northeast. Wasn't able to ride last weekend, but today's temperatures in the 60s made up for that. We've had rain and strong, gusty winds this past week, which took down a lot of the leaves and covered the trails. I brought the fat bike out to play, but was pleasantly surprised to find conditions were pretty dry. Quite a change from my full-squish 29er...I have to think a bit more and use my own suspension .


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Beautiful pictures Petey! I' quite impressed with your suspension. I wish my full-squish 29er work so well .


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> Went on a group ride with the trail association yesterday, and decided to take the dog on his first group ride. As you may recall, my dog is not reliable, and apt to make his own adventures, so I told the group to carry on if I dropped off. There were 5 people and 3 dogs, and I was pleased that he got along with the dogs and did not get in anyone's way (he generally runs out in front). He did leave the group 3 times, but at least it was for 5-10 minutes, not 45. From his tracker collar I could tell he got about 350 yards away max, and his max speed was 25 mph.
> 
> In the evening, I turned the BMX into E.T.'s ride by adding a milk crate to the front and a paper bag as E.T. I put on blue jeans and a hoody for a fun and easy costume. Riding to the gathering was fun.


Love it!! One of my favorite scenes from that movie is the bmx escape from the police. Any pictures of you?


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

petey15 said:


> Love it!! One of my favorite scenes from that movie is the bmx escape from the police. Any pictures of you?


Why yes, there is one...


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Nice!!!


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Just joined the tribe...


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Congrats on the new ride! Where was this taken, and what do you think?


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

A much cooler end to the week in the northeast;hard to believe we saw a few days in the 70s. Even though it lacks suspension, I find myself constantly amazed at all it can do and how much fun it is on the trails. Twice in as many days I've made a steep, technical climb I'm hit or miss with on my 29er.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm still recovering for injuries but managed an easy ride with friends.









Soaking up the last bit of sun before hibernation


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

petey15 said:


> Congrats on the new ride! Where was this taken, and what do you think?


This was taken in Croy Canyon in Hailey, ID. I've got 4 rides under my belt and the tires excel in the muck and packed in snow. The last ride I did had sections of 2-3 inches of fluff that I didn't get great traction on. It could be a function of the tread as well as my tire pressures. I need to pull the tubes out and convert to tubeless and play with the pressures. I don't forsee becoming someone who rides a fatbike all year, but it's definitely going to extend my season.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Ditto. Once the trails firm up in the Spring, I bring out my FS 29er. It's fun to be able to switch it up and ride something else for part of the year - makes it feel like I'm getting a brand new bike all over again - but in the end, I do like a more plush ride.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Here is where I wanted to turn around... right when we hit the snow but









Here's where I did turn around. Here is where trail goes close to the summit road and then we always climb the last couple of miles on the road. The summit down to the above junction is a descending trail.








DH was determined to hit the summit and come down the upper portion of the trail. I knew I would hate it so I went down the road, took a few pictures on the way. You can see that mostly, there's no snow yet.









I met him at the junction. The temp droppped about 20 degrees and I had all my warm stuff on; in theory we planned on this happening. To finish the story, I refused to go down the trail he wanted to go down due to ice and trees down. I made him gave me the key. I had a find ride down except I had to resort to two finger braking since my hands got so cold. I got to try out my new lights and that was great. It was pouring rain/snow mix when we got to the car in the dark lol. That is the last ride at this trail for the season.

Don't say fat bike. I have several pairs of skis just waiting for Hour Glass to open.


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Nice pics! Glad to made it back safe and sound .


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Nice pix and story Formica, a nice adventure to end the trail season. 

I saw this guy on a trail walk Sunday, but wanted to share anyhow. An ermine already in his winter white coat...


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Nice - that is a lucky shot to have captured him (her?) with your camera.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Wow - great pics, everyone! @mtbxplorer - I've never seen one of those in the wild before. Is it early for the white coat, or is it right on time?

Beautiful day in the northeast - temps in the upper 40s to near 50 and lots of sun. It could stay like this all winter, as far as I'm concerned.

Getting Ruby to take flight is challenging, which makes it that much more fun when the wheels leave the ground, if only for a moment.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

petey15 said:


> Wow - great pics, everyone! @mtbxplorer - I've never seen one of those in the wild before. Is it early for the white coat, or is it right on time?


I don't really know, because the only other one I've seen was a cheeky guy that came right up to my sliding glass door in mid winter while we ate waffles inside. I think it is right on time given the shorter days. They are pretty curious and brave, this one dove into the brush pile once when the dog got too close, but came back out to get another look, so I got another photo op.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Gorgeous pics everyone!

Fantastic weekend weather in my neck of the woods

Riding through the milkweed field


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

and the new bike is.....what?


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Ibis HD3!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

cyclelicious said:


> ...
> 
> Riding through the milkweed field
> 
> View attachment 1029879


Milkweed rocks! A monarch butterfly thanks your milkweed "farmer", they cannot survive without it!


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

Stripes said:


> Yep  the HD3 is my new ride. The HD is getting converted to an XC bike.
> View attachment 1030076


Sweet! Okay I have to ask how you are going to convert it?


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbxplorer said:


> Milkweed rocks! A monarch butterfly thanks your milkweed "farmer", they cannot survive without it!


^ Yup! That's a great shot - I've never seen so much milkweed in my life. What a beautiful day you had


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Just another sunny day in Pardise. (My hub)









Not really. Maybe some of you have seen that my region got hit by a huge windstorm Tuesday. We got our power back after 24 hours, but there are still maybe 50000 folks with out power. It's a mess in some areas. It's getting really cold, and that makes it very serious. We chose this area for a ride as every other local trail has multiple trees and live power lines down! Yikes. No trees here. It was maybe 42 in the sun so we got to practice layer management.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

The nice thing about colder temps is that the trails harden up so it's a great time to ride and do some trail building. We did both this weekend.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Nice shots, formica and cyclelicious. We've had some back and forth temps in the northeast and I've definitely been able to practice layering already. But it's probably one of my favorite times of the year to be on the trails - cold enough to firm everything up nicely and a lot less people out and about. I hope things are better in your neck of the woods, formica.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Awesome Licious! Trail work always appreciated. Can't keep up out here.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^+1. have to agree there!

Today's adventure was my commute, rain and freezing rain, both interstates were closed for a while due to all the accidents. Was glad I mounted the Conti Top Contact Winters Sunday night when I saw the forecast. On the way home I stopped for pizza and to sit in "Daddy's Chair" sculpted in "Barre gray" granite by Giuliani Cecchineili, II. That's my Fort Race CX bike, a generous gift from my brother-in-law when he was going to sell it.


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## H2oChick (Dec 14, 2006)

This was a couple weeks ago here in SoCal. In search of the hidden singletrack ...


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

MM warm sunshine  ...


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Beautiful, mild weather continues in the northeast. I was able to get out of work early one day to ride with a friend, and took advantage again this weekend. Despite having a fat bike, I'm not eager for the snow to arrive (sorry skiers!); the last couple of winters are fresh in my still-frozen mind. No matter, Ruby loves logs and dirt, too.

As it's still hunting season, my friend's dog, Kona, was sporting his blaze-orange vest and a zip tie made for a MacGyver-like fix for a broken buckle (I had duct tape with me, too). A new log pile to climb and a bowl to ip into complete the series.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Couldn't resist the call to ride when it was 68 deg and sunny in pa today. Mowed the yard yesterday! 25 miles on the Enola rail trail out and back was all I was up to. Gravel is a load on that distance. Pix will come when I get to loading the camera footage


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Pre winter solstice ride


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^Nice!!!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Good stuff, fellow females!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Merry Christmas, kind readers and posters of the WL! Wishing everyone a flat-free holiday season.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Ha ha ha (or should that be Ho Ho Ho?)! Merry Christmas to all!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

3 days. 3 very different rides... holiday fun

Christmas Eve. Urban / some trail 








Christmas Day. Local trails /some trail maintenance








Boxing Day. Full day of escarpment riding








Happy Holidays WL and a Fantastic New Year!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Woohoo, good for you! We have a lot of trails closed, either due to closure dates on state land or concern about trail damage due to the mild weather/lack of freeze up so far.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ raining today... we were lucky with the weather


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## shredchic (Jun 18, 2007)

Stripes said:


> OMFG I jumped my bike. First time either on video or pics that shows the air under both tires


Hey looking good there! Thanks for stepping up to moderate!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Stripes said:


> OMFG I jumped my bike. First time either on video or pics that shows the air under both tires


Nice vid Stripes!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

New Years Eve ride. First snowfall. It wasn't too cold and traction was good . Built a nice fire and enjoying the evening, ringing in 2016 with my hubby


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Great stuff, stripes and cyclelicious! I'm LOVING the energy and positivity of this forum!!


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## Fuzzle (Mar 31, 2015)

I haven't been around for a while. so I missed all these pice pics of you awesome ladies. Nice to see everyone is having so much fun!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Pedaling to work yesterday, 8 miles hovering at about -5F. Pic is approaching Montpelier VT along the Winooski River, the capital dome in the distance.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Brrr! Even looks chilly! Wish I lived closer to work and on a more bike-friendly route. I live on one side of a valley and work is on the other. The commute would involve steep hills both ways, lol and a serious lack of bike lanes.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ If you are interested in bikecommuting, options to consider or try are the occasional, multimodal, or 1-way bikecommute. My whole RT commute is currently 24 miles; because the last 4 miles to my house also gain >1000' elevation, I now drive that part and bikecommute the remaining 8 miles (16 round trip). Most of it is a bike unfriendly commercial strip, not bucolic VT byways or as pretty as the pic. I made this multimodal compromise when I adopted a dog, because that last 4 miles/1000' elevation gain made for too long of a day for the dog at home. For a while I was 35 miles from work, and would usually carpool, but occasionally ride one way and carpool back (as 70 miles/day plus work was not do-able). Another workplace was 25 miles away; I would routinely ride the first 11 or 12 and then take a bus the rest of the way. I find bikecommuting is awesome because you stay in shape year round and learn how to ride comfortably in all weather conditions.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Nice pic mtbxplorer ... yes that does look cold  Winter commuting is not for whimps :thumbsup:


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

First time on the bike this year - was able to get a ride in before warm temperatures and heavy rain hits our region tomorrow. Temps were hovering right around 40F (felt amazing for this time of year) and despite some remnants of snow here and there and rain showers last night, the trails were in remarkably good shape. I'm pretty lucky to have a place to ride that has good drainage. I decided to ride a couple of newer (or new to me) section of trails. The one section has a bunch of bowls created from blow downs; they have steep sides and are deliciously swoopy. I learned to carry some speed going in so my momentum would carry me up the other side. Fun stuff!


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

I've been sick at home all week, so I've finally had some time to surf the forums for the first time in quite a while. Since I don't dare go for a ride in my current state, I've been living vicariously through everyone else's photos and posts.

I'm loving that Chromag you got there, cyclelicious! Badass!

I have been making good use of my time while stuck inside the house, at least - I decided to thoroughly clean all of my bikes and bleed the rear brake on my fattie, among other chores. And it's a good thing, too - I can't believe I left one of my bikes in this condition! :eekster:









(there's a thick layer of sand-infused grease spanning the distance from the jockey wheel to the cage!)

Here's what I wish I was doing instead:


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Hi, great to see you again, hope you are all better soon and out riding the newly spiffed bikes!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Last night's ride. Full moon +River ice + fire = bliss


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Wow! Unbelievable top-shelf, drop-dead gorgeous scene!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Went back to the next day. The sections we rode were solid (no one broke through the ice  ) and we covered several kilometres.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Great shots, as always, cyclelicious! I can appreciate the need for studded tires on your rides . Looks like tons of fun, though!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Last night's ride... milder temps have melted most of the river ice, so we stayed on the trails. We made a nice fire at the camp to warm up. On the ride home we heard coyotes howling at a passing train.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Great pics! Love your mid-ride fires. Temperatures have been back and forth this winter. Last week's ride was in the 20s and today's ride ended with it being 52 F! The trails were almost completely dry and mud-free. Lots of people were out enjoying the park today, in stark contrast to last week. The last two pictures are from last week and there is some snow and ice. Today there were just traces of each in only the shadiest spots.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Those pics are so inspiring  A friend had me pick up a pair of full sus bikes to tune/build and theres still too much snow here to see the rocks or mud. Bring on the warm...


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Good stuff, women of MTBR!


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks, mtbxplorer! I finally did get out for a ride on Saturday. We drove an hour southwest of SFe to ride in sunny, 65F weather. Riding in short sleeves felt great! We are loving the fatbikes on dry singletrack. Every ride on mine surprises me more and more.

We spent 30 minutes breaking into our friend's truck after the ride because he locked his keys inside...








(my husband airing it out as I chase him down)

No more short-sleeve weather for now. I got a partial snow day today. I'm thinking about going for a spin on the fattie, but then I'll have to clean it again! I spent 2 or 3 hours over a couple of evenings cleaning it after a friend borrowed it for a very muddy ride with my husband the previous weekend (I should have made him clean the bike...). I might go check out the trails this afternoon.

I can't wait for warmer weather...


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Stripes said:


> Petey- I swear my n+1 is a fat bike for riding in the sand at fort ord during the winter for next year.
> 
> This year, I'm working on my right hand turns after having a cornering clinic with Kat Sweet.


Heck yeah! I have a blast on mine! The only thing I miss from time to time is front suspension. So, I'd recommend that at least 



mtbher said:


> Thanks, mtbxplorer! I finally did get out for a ride on Saturday. We drove an hour southwest of SFe to ride in sunny, 65F weather. Riding in short sleeves felt great! We are loving the fatbikes on dry singletrack. Every ride on mine surprises me more and more.
> 
> We spent 30 minutes breaking into our friend's truck after the ride because he locked his keys inside...
> 
> ...


Awesome! I love getting my fatty to leave the ground. Looks like lots of fun.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

petey15 said:


> Awesome! I love getting my fatty to leave the ground. Looks like lots of fun.


I love seeing your photos of you getting the front end of your fattie way up in the air! Did it take you long to master that skill? I want to learn how to wheelie - I can kinda get the front end up a little, but not too high and not consistently! I signed up for Ryan Leech's 30-day wheelie challenge a while back, but I didn't stick with it - maybe that's what I should do today.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbher said:


> I love seeing your photos of you getting the front end of your fattie way up in the air! Did it take you long to master that skill? I want to learn how to wheelie - I can kinda get the front end up a little, but not too high and not consistently! I signed up for Ryan Leech's 30-day wheelie challenge a while back, but I didn't stick with it - maybe that's what I should do today.


I wouldn't say I've mastered the skill yet, lol. And you should see some of the shots I've taken of my face when I'm doing it - I look positively horrified. But I practice a LOT and watch a lot of video and read a lot of skills books, etc. I'm still trying to learn to wheelie reliably and be able to turn my cranks for more than a pedal stroke or two. So much of it is timing and really being able to get your weight back and NOT pulling up on the handlebars (you actually push off them and back as you initiate your pedal stroke - seems counterintuitive but it works). In the end, it's wheelie worth it


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

It was a muddy day in some spots but warm enough that all I needed was a skinsuit for a 7 mile trail session. It felt so good to skip the sleeves and thermals.:thumbsup:


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Saturday nighty night riding. Snows almost gone, a few puddles but the ground is still frozen so there's not much mud


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

So icy here right now, all that works is my Ice-Spiker Pro's on the MTB/commuter and the microspikes on the boots for trailwalking the dog.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

mtbxplorer said:


> So icy here right now, all that works is my Ice-Spiker Pro's on the MTB/commuter and the microspikes on the boots for trailwalking the dog.


mtbxplorer, seems you are uniquely qualified to answer this--should I drop everything, go to the bank and drive to Putney to buy these?  Studded 29er tires, Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Sunny Hollow is snow-free, might be rideable with these puppies!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> mtbxplorer, seems you are uniquely qualified to answer this--should I drop everything, go to the bank and drive to Putney to buy these?  Studded 29er tires, Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Sunny Hollow is snow-free, might be rideable with these puppies!


Yes, they are the best on ice, and they will last you a long time unless you use them on pavement a lot! The most fun you will ever have with them, although rare, is if we ever get a hard crust snow that you can ride on top of. Also, if the snowmachine trails ever open, thaw, and hard freeze, that is good riding too.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

This winter has felt like anything but - more like an extended late fall. Any snow we have received has typically melted within a week. I've still had fun on my Muk, and jumping around on its rigid frame is going to make me really appreciate my FS 29er once I haul that out again :thumbsup:


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Stripes said:


> Nice day riding in Santa Cruz  enjoying the February before the March rains supposedly start back up.


Awesome, Stripes! I love the face! I make the same one a lot of the time. I've found though if I make a conscious effort to smile as I go into the jump, I definitely am more relaxed. I think it's the whole "fake it 'til you make it" idea. I swear it works! Awesome seeing you get that front end up - I can tell you're really comfortable on your bike!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

petey15 said:


> This winter has felt like anything but - more like an extended late fall. Any snow we have received has typically melted within a week. I've still had fun on my Muk, and jumping around on its rigid frame is going to make me really appreciate my FS 29er once I haul that out again :thumbsup:


Way to go, Petey!!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Stripes said:


> I wish I could figure out why I make that face. I think it's the default "yoga breathing" because I am relaxed and that seems to be my jump/manual face
> 
> Yeah it's getting to the point where I can feel the weakness in the rear shock, which is going to get switched out because it wallows midstroke.
> 
> ...


You should see some of my photos - I look positively mortified - but I'm having a blast! I'll admit, I think I'm always a bit surprised when my wheel goes up a lot higher than I had anticipated.

I use a small tripod I put my camera on. I put it on TV mode (it's a shutter setting mode, I guess, lol) and set the self-timer for 30 seconds and then I usually adjust it somewhere between 5-7 shots. Checking out the photos after I jump really helps me critique things and make adjustments as I go. And it's fun!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Rad pics, Petey and Stripes! I'm jealous--I think it rain/slushed 2 inches today in VT!

But! I got those spiked tires that I asked mtbxplorer about so I will be ready to shred when it freezes, annnnnnnnnnnd I bought a new frame! *exhibits terrible dance moves* 2014 Canfield Yelli Screamy, after much agonizing--and I'm gonna try to do a 1x10 build. I got some race face turbine cranks set up for 2x cheap on eBay, but then I found a DM chainring in GOLD, which pretty much tipped the scales, and I still have all the 2x stuff around if my wimpy legs aren't up to the challenge.  SO STOKED!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

ryetoast said:


> Rad pics, Petey and Stripes! I'm jealous--I think it rain/slushed 2 inches today in VT!
> 
> But! I got those spiked tires that I asked mtbxplorer about so I will be ready to shred when it freezes, annnnnnnnnnnd I bought a new frame! *exhibits terrible dance moves* 2014 Canfield Yelli Screamy, after much agonizing--and I'm gonna try to do a 1x10 build. I got some race face turbine cranks set up for 2x cheap on eBay, but then I found a DM chainring in GOLD, which pretty much tipped the scales, and I still have all the 2x stuff around if my wimpy legs aren't up to the challenge.  SO STOKED!


That's awesome! I've heard/read nothing but good things about that frame. Will look forward to build pictures!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Congrats ryetoast, sounds awesome. Hope you are mounting those studded tires now because the high of 22F tomorrow will be perfect!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

This weekend was gorgeous! Lots of sun and 60F today. I took advantage and did some trail work along the way. This winter may not have provided us with much snow, but it sure was windy and there've been a number of downed trees. I love a good logover (or log pile, or whatever you want to call them) and a big tree across the trail gave me the perfect excuse to make one. I sure was glad I had my folding saw in my pack for just this sort of opportunity . Today I came across another that had fallen in disrepair and people had created a go 'round. That one is once again rideable from both directions :thumbsup:

So, the images are out of order, lol. The last should be first, and the first, last.


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

No pics, but I spent yesterday at the skills park working on manuals. (I have a solid wheelie, but discovered a skill gap--lifting the front end at speed.) 

My husband gave me a quick crash course on how to do it, critiqued my form, and I spent the rest of our time there practicing on the pump track, off drops, etc. I learned how to properly do a drop, not just roll it! I'm proud of myself. 

(Oh, and I'm really sore today.)


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Congrats, Lucy! Sounds like tons of fun. Wish we had a skills park nearby. I'm jealous of your wheelie abilities! I've only managed a few pedal strokes. I suppose I should get back at it!


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

ryetoast said:


> Rad pics, Petey and Stripes! I'm jealous--I think it rain/slushed 2 inches today in VT!
> 
> But! I got those spiked tires that I asked mtbxplorer about so I will be ready to shred when it freezes, annnnnnnnnnnd I bought a new frame! *exhibits terrible dance moves* 2014 Canfield Yelli Screamy, after much agonizing--and I'm gonna try to do a 1x10 build. I got some race face turbine cranks set up for 2x cheap on eBay, but then I found a DM chainring in GOLD, which pretty much tipped the scales, and I still have all the 2x stuff around if my wimpy legs aren't up to the challenge.  SO STOKED!


Yes!!! Post pics when it's built. Congrats!



petey15 said:


> ^ Congrats, Lucy! Sounds like tons of fun. Wish we had a skills park nearby. I'm jealous of your wheelie abilities! I've only managed a few pedal strokes. I suppose I should get back at it!


Thanks Petey! Learning the wheelie was like putting my skills in hyperdrive... I think the manual will be the same! I'm pumped to try it on the trail.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

We've kicked off our Biking Betties for the season. Our first two rides have been really short due to daylight constraints, but that hasn't stopped the gals from coming out, even with nasty weather looming. The rides are short, as in 2-3 miles/45 mins. It's going through the motions to get a ride in, not a real ride, but still tons of fun. Once we get to the time change we can start to make them longer.

We had 27 gals last week, 18 this week. Lots of new gals are showing up solo which is extremely cool. The co-leader and I (and a few of the gals) were interviewed for a feature article in next month's local outdoor magazine.

I finally put a little website into place so that all the non-facebook people can have access to the group info.

Biking Betties: Mountain Biking For Women

last week:









Last night:


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Awesome!!! YEAH!


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## IbisGirl (Jul 10, 2006)

*So much Awesome!*



gmats said:


> Awesome!!! YEAH!


This past week, we were one of the sponsors that helped Bell Launch their impressive Joy Ride program in Santa Cruz,CA. Since we design bikes sized for everyone and have custom tuned shocks for lightweight riders, the ambassadors had their choice of Ripley, HD3 or Mojo3 bikes to ride. The ambassadors flew in from all across the US and Canada and are now back in their home towns planning rides for YOU! They are about fun and getting out and riding with other like minded women. Bell Joy Ride 
Unfortunately, after an impressive 3 weeks of blissful sunshine, the big ride on Saturday was rained out, so we only got to go on a ride with these gals on Friday. Instead of canceling the event, Bell sponsored a rider appreciation day with games, emergency first aid clinics, bike fit seminar and innovations with suspension and bike design, beer and food. About 80 people showed up and it was AWESOME!

Thanks: Blackburn,Giro,CamelBak,Luna,Spokesman,Kinetic Koffee, Ibis Cycles Enduro team riders (Caro & Anita Gherig, Mary Moncorge) California Enduro,Girls Rock, and Trynt Young and the amazing press for covering this from Pinkbike/MTBR/Dirt Rag/BRAIN.

(photo credit: Bell-Josh Sawyer)
Photo1.I'm explaining how I shape the bike frames
Photo2.The new "mud bath" look.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Neato - one of our Betties (Karina M from Idaho) is also a Joy Ride ambassador and we'll be attending each others events.

Ibisgirl, take a look at the vintage Ibis in my photo montage... how cool it that??!!


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## IbisGirl (Jul 10, 2006)

formica said:


> Neato - one of our Betties (Karina M from Idaho) is also a Joy Ride ambassador and we'll be attending each others events.
> 
> Ibisgirl, take a look at the vintage Ibis in my photo montage... how cool it that??!!


Super SWOON! Love the Ibis Vintage ride you have @formica!! 
Say, "Hi" to Karina! I met her at our HQ. So excited to have your events grow and support one another.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Oh, it's not mine. It belongs to Nina, the gal with it.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

@ formica and IbisGirl - great stuff, both of you! So awesome to see so many women involved and out riding. We're definitely out there, and our numbers are growing!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Yesterday's ride. Snow is melting, temps are rising, days are getting longer 

















And my daffodils have appeared!









Spring is coming


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Nice! Similar walks here today, ice almost gone! Taking care of 2 extra dogs and they are better at a walking pace.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Spring is definitely on its way! Trails are drying up and each time I'm out, I find something to clean up or fix. Loving this time of year!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

There's a section of trails I ride frequently with lots of natural bowls, downed trees and endless possibilities - it's a flood plain next to a brook. A couple of years ago when we experienced a lot of flooding, the area was completely submerged in water and many of the trails had to be rerouted or redone. There isn't much elevation change once you get in there and the trails are really fast and flowy. I connected one part of the trail through a natural drop to another section, to add a little challenge and fun. This was my first time attempting drops and this one can easily be rolled with no consequence - perfect for a beginner :thumbsup: I'm completely hooked and can't wait to expand my skills further!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

petey15 said:


> There's a section of trails I ride frequently with lots of natural bowls, downed trees and endless possibilities - it's a flood plain next to a brook. A couple of years ago when we experienced a lot of flooding, the area was completely submerged in water and many of the trails had to be rerouted or redone. There isn't much elevation change once you get in there and the trails are really fast and flowy. I connected one part of the trail through a natural drop to another section, to add a little challenge and fun. This was my first time attempting drops and this one can easily be rolled with no consequence - perfect for a beginner :thumbsup: I'm completely hooked and can't wait to expand my skills further!


Those pics have SO. MUCH. AWESOME!!! 

I've just got back from a moto-themed spring break in Florida, where I also accomplished some MTBing on mostly flat but very tight and twisty single track. On Wednesday, my evil boyfriend suggested I borrow his Strava-equipped phone and do a hot lap, which I did in mortal fear as I'd forgotten my gloves and my bike has very wide bars... Sure enough I went OTB twice in five minutes from tagging trees and scraped up my hands! Live and don't learn! 

Got home and went to the post office to collect my life savings...









New frame is in--as well as a new drivetrain (in those boxes) to go with it! It's smaller, slacker, lighter and shinier than the old one, and I am SO EXCITED to spend mud season building it up!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

ryetoast said:


> Those pics have SO. MUCH. AWESOME!!!
> 
> I've just got back from a moto-themed spring break in Florida, where I also accomplished some MTBing on mostly flat but very tight and twisty single track. On Wednesday, my evil boyfriend suggested I borrow his Strava-equipped phone and do a hot lap, which I did in mortal fear as I'd forgotten my gloves and my bike has very wide bars... Sure enough I went OTB twice in five minutes from tagging trees and scraped up my hands! Live and don't learn!
> 
> ...


Yay!!! That's awesome! Can't wait to see the completed build! So much fun


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Rebuilt my Transition Bandit. It was a plusher ride compared to my Chromag Stylus which I have been riding for 2 years









Pic from last Sunday's ride








We've had several days of rain. A coldfront moved in but the weekend looks good for riding


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious said:


> Rebuilt my Transition Bandit. It was a plusher ride compared to my Chromag Stylus which I have been riding for 2 years
> 
> View attachment 1057668
> 
> ...


Sweet ride! What sized wheels are those? Lately I've been drooling over the Transition Scout - I know, I know - just a couple of months ago it was the Liv Intrigue SX. But, the Scout seems so snappy and playful, and after having a blast on my rigid fattie all winter, I'm questioning how much travel I really need for the trails I frequent the most. Are you on a small? How does it fit/feel? So many amazing bikes out there, how o you choose?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks Petey. The frame is a 2011 Transition Bandit 26". I intended to sell it when I got the 2014 Chromag Stylus ht but instead hung on to it. I was recently looking at the Scout because I was interested in a 27.5. (My hubby has a 27.5 Bronson and likes it). After some thought I decided to rebuild the Bandit. I'm glad I did. It's got 1x10 On One set up, 2016 XT brakes, Fox fork, tubeless Stan etc. The bike is light and rides nicely in all mountain terrain. It will be a good ride for me until I'm ready for a new bike... which will likely be a 27.5


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## Golf_Chick (Aug 22, 2013)

Mega ride yesterday despite the heavy rain we had over night, nice warm sun and quiet trails like always.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Recent weekend rides. There is still a bit of snow in shady areas. Explored an old abandoned farm house and climbed a a big tree stump  Rode 22 km mostly singletrack


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

I'm off the bike and on the kickped (push scooter) for a couple weeks, as it is carry-on friendly and I am at training in warmer climes for 2 weeks. Still fun to roll! Missed trail crew startup meeting, but plenty of work to do on my adopted trails when I get back, as spring melt came early.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Great write up on our group.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Great stuff, formica! Just returned from an almost 2-week vacation down south to snow and COLD. More is forecast for this weekend - just in time for the first mtb class I help instruct and our first scheduled trail work day. Waaaah! Lol.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Spent all weekend hiding from the cold in the basement working on my Yelli build. It's at 95%, just waiting on a kit to shorten my rear brake line and a little more ano gold! Gonna do a little writeup on the build process in a bit here, but in the meantime, let's just say this thing FLIES.

There it is after its inaugural ride on a multi-use trail near the house, seat slammed for hucking the water bars.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

ryetoast said:


> Spent all weekend hiding from the cold in the basement working on my Yelli build. It's at 95%, just waiting on a kit to shorten my rear brake line and a little more ano gold! Gonna do a little writeup on the build process in a bit here, but in the meantime, let's just say this thing FLIES.
> 
> There it is after its inaugural ride on a multi-use trail near the house, seat slammed for hucking the water bars.
> 
> View attachment 1062118


Weeeee! Lookin' great! Where's all of your snow?? Aren't you in the NE? Lucky you to have missed it.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

petey15 said:


> Weeeee! Lookin' great! Where's all of your snow?? Aren't you in the NE? Lucky you to have missed it.


Yeah, we had a dusting for a second but it didn't last long. Still 15 degrees out now though, and the forecast looks like more of the same. Hope all my little trees in the yard don't die.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

I finally got my bike build odyssey written up on my blog, check it out with the caution that it is LONG! 

The Imaginary Dirt Bike Blog is Real: SO YOU WANT TO BUILD A BICYCLE...

It's still snowing here, so a full review of the new beast will have to wait until the trails get some sun. Initial performance indicators are VERY promising...


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

So stoked for you!!!! It looks great.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

formica said:


> Great write up on our group.


You can read the actual article on pg 13 here 
https://issuu.com/snyderzzz/docs/april2016
There doesn't appear to be a web link.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

formica said:


> You can read the actual article on pg 13 here
> https://issuu.com/snyderzzz/docs/april2016
> There doesn't appear to be a web link.


Aww that sounds like so much fun! I only ever get to ride with dudes... Y'all want to start a VT chapter?


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

I don't wanna jinx it, but I think spring is here. I've been on the bike five days in a row if you count Friday's road ride! Here's the beast this morning, waiting around while I catch my breath for another run down the jump trail.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

This evening's ride. It was a little chilly but trails were dry


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

I've had an exciting weekend! Finally hit Baby's First Cliff Jump here at Cady Hill. There is a two-foot line, which is not very well established and has an awkward run-up, and a four-foot line, which is well worn-in and a total straight-shot no-brainer.......... BUT it's four frickin' FEET just to the bottom of the cliff, let alone to wherever you land! Keeping that one on the to-do list, but I got a little queasy just looking at it, TBH.






And today I visited another local trail system and went spectacularly OTB casing a tiny TINY double in front of a bunch of bros, so that was good. Live and don't learn...


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Spent Sunday riding and doing trail clean up. Exceeded my volunteer participation hours for the month of April. Fun day, excellent weekend, great month


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Been a busy few weekends! I help instruct mountain biking for our local college's outdoor education program. It's the same class I took 10 years ago that got me started. Nothing I love more than giving back to this sport I love and sharing it with others. Hopefully some will also get the "bug" and pursue mtb as a life-long passion.

Our first ride was an indoor bike rodeo due to inclement weather. I got this idea from a video online. We strung large dowels along a pipe in the parking garage and had the students ride between them to simulate tree squeezes. We also spread them out so they could do a slalom.








Teaching logovers. It's so much fun to watch the progress everyone makes!








We had our club's first trail work day on Sunday - almost 30 volunteers showed up! We accomplished a lot, including a big reroute for a connector trail.









I reworked one of our logovers. It's been in sore need of repairs and as it's on an uphill section, smoothing out the downhill side was paramount.








Doing what I love!


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Oh boy, I had one helluva weekend! I decided to compete in my first race, just to see if I would 1) enjoy it, and 2) be anywhere near competitive. I signed up for an XC race in Cloudcroft, NM - the High Altitude Classic. I was sooo nervous in the week leading up to race day! Short story, it did and it didn't go as planned.

I went down there with a friend and riding buddy of mine who had signed up for the Men's Cat1 50-59 group (he's an avid racer and one of the strongest climbers I know. I've learned a lot from him). I was signed up for the Women's Cat3 30-39 (thank god, only 13 miles. My friend had to do 30... haha!). First off, the trail was a bit more challenging than I expected - not only the elevation (Cloudcroft is 1600ft higher than where I live, and I thought I was high up there at 7000ft!), but also the terrain - steep, punchy climbs covered in babyheads, a straight, fast, long downhill section with marbles, and a sustained climb from the bottom that rose 1100ft in 3 miles. Ouch (the climb up the forest road was the worst part - it just seemed so endless).

We arrived early to warm up on the first part of the course and as I was coming back to town, right before the singletrack hit the road, I washed out in a loose turn and dislocated my elbow. No. Freaking. Way. Just my luck, I mess myself up right before my first race. Like 20 minutes before the start. As I am sitting there on the trail, trying to get my elbow to slip back in place (this has happened once before), I am pondering whether my race is over before it even started. Some other riders came by and asked if I was alright - by that time, I had managed to get things back in their proper location and I was able to ride my bike back into town. I leaned my bike against our truck and walked across the street to the bike shop in hopes that I could find an ACE bandage to wrap up my elbow. I was starting to feel woozy at that point. They didn't have any bandages, so I turned around to go outside and check out another store. I made it past the threshold of the door and the next thing I know, one of the guys from the shop is picking me up off the ground and setting me on the bench. They had no idea what had happened and were totally freaked out. I came to almost immediately and told them that I was okay; I apparently passed out from the pain or the shock of the dislocation. They had already called an ambulance, but I was able to tell them that I was fine (and honestly I was). I found my riding buddy, who was lining up to start already (oh, ****, I need to hurry) and I told him what had happened. I think I mentioned to him that I was going to try to race, but I am not sure because he told me afterwards that he thought about not racing after I told him what happened. I had no luck at the gas station, but I finally found a bandage at a store across the highway. I ran back, wrapping my arm as I went, grabbed my bike and lined up with the other ladies with about 5 minutes to spare. I can tell you this - it took my mind off being nervous about the start! Haha!

Surprisingly, my elbow was fine during the race. The only thing that got to me was the fatigue in my arm from it being in one position the entire time. I raced as hard as I could and had a blast. It was really tough and I had some good competition, but I managed to squeak out a win (I had the overall fastest time in Women's Cat3 and I was 11 minutes behind the Men's Cat3 30-39 winner. Not too bad). I was only about 2 minutes in front of the second place winner in my group. I am so glad that I decided to go for it despite my injury. It was such a good learning experience and I hope to do many more in the future! My ultimate goal is to race enduro - I'm signed up for one next month - but I wanted to get my feet wet before I jumped into something like that. Oh, and my riding partner took 3rd in his category (out of 5) despite having a flat and bonking on the third lap.









(the guy with the blonde hair behind us was the one that picked me up off the ground when I passed out. When my name was called and I walked up there, he looked at me in disbelief and said, "you won?!" Haha!)

Definitely an interesting first race! I can't say that I ever want to repeat that, though!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

mtbher, that is simultaneously the worst/best first race story I have ever heard! Congrats on the win, that is AMAZING!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Woo hoo, mtbher!!! Congrats on the win - what a story!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Great story mtbher and big congrats on the win.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks, you guys! It was seriously a lot of fun. So much fun that I am considering signing up for a local race this weekend! (my hubby and I were originally planning to go to Moab this weekend, but the weather - and my elbow - are not looking good for riding out there. He might race, too!). I'm thinking singlespeed (I ride these trails all the time and they are best ridden (i.e. most fun) on a SS); I am just not sure if I can do 18 miles (2 laps) at race-pace! O.O We'll see how my elbow does - I have until Thurs night to sign up.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

One of my pals hub is a really good photographer. It's always fun when he's in shooting mode. This is my go-to neighborhood trail system, abot 15 mins from my house.

Cracks me up how big this looks from his perspective (it's not very)








Just tooling along








Fun little trail jump








on the Gnar Wall


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

SO and I did something a bit different last week - we took our bikes with us to go camping in a national park about 10 hours south of where we live. We usually just go hiking when we go camping, but you can ride in national parks in the state we visited so we decided to do some different exploring - ended up being one of the most pleasant, scenic and enjoyable trail rides I have ever done (as well as being the highest! hehehe)

We visited Barrington Tops NP - the southernmost Gondwanan rainforest reserve in the country. The trail followed a looping path through montane swampland (one of the highest in the country) before climbing up to sub-alpine eucalypt forest and through some interesting sub-alpine rainforest. Some hikers let us know that we got lucky to get views from Careys peak, as the tops are usually covered in thick fog - we got to experience the thick fog and constant rain on our last two days there... This place has recorded snow in the middle of summer - luckily that didn't happen because I certainly had not packed for it! 

The view from Careys peak over the Barrington Tops








The last part of the ride - I had fallen into two swampy creeks and had an OTB due to a branch getting stuck in my wheel by this time... 27kms and over 700m (about 2300ft) of climbing








Riding through the tall gums to Mt Barrington at 1558m (5111ft)








QOM at Mt Barrington - lunch was soon had!








Leaving the Barringtons after 4 days adventuring - you can see the fog and thick cloud covering the mountains in the distance - It was nice to get home and have a looooooong hot shower  hehehehe


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

> southernmost Gondwanan rainforest


...As in Gondwanaland? Ancient, ancient land? How cool is that...
Yes, I'm a geology nerd.


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

Yep - as in Gondwanaland  Based on the the flora and fauna content of the regions being identical or similar to those found when Australia was part of the Gonwana continent. 

It seriously feels like some wild ancient creatures could jump out at you any moment when visiting these reserves... You really do get a sense of being somewhere really really *OLD*.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

This thread continues to be totally AWESOME!! Nice Asterope!! So many places, so little time. Aloha!


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

formica said:


> One of my pals hub is a really good photographer. It's always fun when he's in shooting mode. This is my go-to neighborhood trail system, abot 15 mins from my house.
> 
> Cracks me up how big this looks from his perspective (it's not very)
> View attachment 1066550


Formica, that trail looks RAD!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Awesome stuff here! I've been busy on trailwork (group and solo/adopted trail) as Millstone is opening this weekend! 4" of snow on Monday put a damper on it, but it has been dry and sunny since, although snow still remains in the shadier spots. Commuting has been complicated by construction, but I am too stubborn to give up or even change routes due to flaggers making me wait until all cars have passed, or sheriffs objecting to my taking the lane over the diagonal RR tracks.

Trailwork crew https://www.facebook.com/events/500735016779872/


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## Asterope (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm involved with trailwork on the regular for one of the local private DH tracks, and am amazed what a bit of rain can do to bed in or completely ruin any maintenance... I cannot imagine what a season of snow does to the trails!! 

Whats it like maintaining trails after a season of snow? does it really wash out the trail or not have much of an effect?


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Asterope said:


> I'm involved with trailwork on the regular for one of the local private DH tracks, and am amazed what a bit of rain can do to bed in or completely ruin any maintenance... I cannot imagine what a season of snow does to the trails!!
> 
> Whats it like maintaining trails after a season of snow? does it really wash out the trail or not have much of an effect?


I don't think the snow has much of an effect on the trails because it melts off fairly gradually - but it can also depend on how good the drainage is to begin with. If the drainage is poor and the trail is on a fall line, well, then it's a mess.

I think more damage is done by people riding too early in the season before the trails are dried out, creating ruts which just attract more water. Then people don't want to get all muddy so they ride around them, and so on. If the trails are done right, you shouldn't see any difference in them after the snow melts.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Snow melting i to the soil will help new tread bed in.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Survived four lousy days of exams and got back on the bike last night, just in time for opening day at the local super-gnarly super-steep trails. The new steed performed admirably--it is so easy to get the front end up on the downhills that I finally had the guts to hit some steep lines that I'd always avoided on my last bike.








Victory!








And defeat. Thankfully this happened in the last 500 yards of the ride!

After an early season of sandy flow trails, getting back into the gnarl was a bit of a shock, new steed or no. It's LUMPY out there! Though looking at that fork o-ring thing, maybe I should back off the compression a little next time...


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Fun stuff. It does look like maybe the fork is set a bit stiff(from here). Is the sag where it needs to be? That can be a bit of a bother to set up properly.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Asterope said:


> I'm involved with trailwork on the regular for one of the local private DH tracks, and am amazed what a bit of rain can do to bed in or completely ruin any maintenance... I cannot imagine what a season of snow does to the trails!!
> 
> Whats it like maintaining trails after a season of snow? does it really wash out the trail or not have much of an effect?


It depends on the winter, we had very little snow this year and fewer -20F days. Most of the work this year was leafblowing (my trails had 2' deep matted beech leaves). Fewer blowdowns than usual (less sawing/chainsawing). Snowmelt was not bad, but the places that don't drain well in rain don't drain well in snowmelt either. We had some extra work due to winter logging in the town forest, clearing slash off the trails, etc.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> View attachment 1067024
> 
> Victory!


Where is this one, Rye?


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Supersedona, the sag is not where it ought to be... It was bottoming out on me on the jump trails and that's most of what I was riding last fall, so I messed around until it was A+ for jumps/flow and evidently C- for plowing through roots and rocks. I turned compression down and rebound up a bit today and that helped, but I think this weekend I'll put it the pressures back to what the manual says and see if it's any better. 

Mtbexplorer, this is on Joe's at Perry Hill. Two days there in a row and I am feelin' it in the quads!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> Mtbexplorer, this is on Joe's at Perry Hill. Two days there in a row and I am feelin' it in the quads!


Oh yeah, that'll do it, killer hill. I didn't make it over there last year, or maybe once. I will have to go this year, but pretty sure I won't make it up without going regularly.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

As a male, I'm aware that I probably shouldn't be posting here, but after browsing through this thread, I just wanted to say that you're all awesome and, if I could propose to every one of you, I would.

Happy trails and keep doin' what you do!

HDP


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Cool observation when I was at the Michaux XC race in Gettysburg pa yesterday. It was the first time that the senior men 19-34 was outnumbered by the women  Out of a well attended event we were almost 2 to 1 in the 10 mile set. Usually it's the other way around. Would have had pics but it was all rain/fog.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

supersedona said:


> Cool observation when I was at the Michaux XC race in Gettysburg pa yesterday. It was the first time that the senior men 19-34 was outnumbered by the women  Out of a well attended event we were almost 2 to 1 in the 10 mile set. Usually it's the other way around. Would have had pics but it was all rain/fog.


Woohoo! Saw more girls than guys unloading their bikes at the trailhead the other day--cue Sam Cooke, "It's been a long time coming, but a change is gonna come!"

It rained on Sunday and I had a dirt bike race on Saturday, so my mtb story for this weekend is "I changed some wheel bearings."  I'm thinking of trying my first enduro next weekend, so having the front wheel wobbling around seemed even less appealing than usual--and the good old LBS even had the bearings I needed in stock!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Squeezed in a ride on Saturday before the rain. Happy to see signs of spring

Trilliums








Ramps (ready for picking)








Fiddleheads not ready 








me








Sunday did a long run between rain squalls


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

All 5 brave Barre Bombers survived the 4.5 mile/1100' descent on kid's 16" wheel bikes - fun and hilarious! I rode a Schwinn with a coaster brake (center). This is the start at a radio tower. It was on a dirt and then paved road.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Trail riding plans scuttled by rain, so I cut down my fork tube (finally!), went for a road ride, then practiced wheelies and manuals in the yard.

I am perhaps more proud of this than any other single accomplishment in my life, with the exception of passing Calc I.






I have led a very productive life, as you can tell! 

Could have held it longer...maybe...but I didn't want to go down the bank into the driveway and die!

Oh, and a gratuitous bike picture:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

That is so awesome. How did you get to that point? Dedicated practice very day for .......? Ryan Leech's video course? Do tell.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

formica said:


> That is so awesome. How did you get to that point? Dedicated practice very day for .......? Ryan Leech's video course? Do tell.


Thanks!! I've been trying half-assedly for ages, but this was the first time it worked at all! SO STOKED. This is my go-to motivational video: 



 (part of it may have to do with my crush on Neil there  )

He kind of pre-loads the suspension with his knees in the vid, but for me on the 29er hardtail, I have to almost bring my chest to the bars to compress the forks, then drop my hips back and DOWN--like way more down than feels natural--on the rebound while kicking the pedals forward.

With this and wheelies, the only way I got the confidence to lift the wheel at all was to go out on some nice soft grass and actively try to flip the bike over backward. Broke the ol' tailbone wheelie-ing my dirt bike a while back so I think I'm still working through some nerves!


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

Nice work, Rye!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Nice job, Rye! I'm jealous! I gotta get back at working on wheelies, but now I want to add this to my list. That site you linked has lots of great videos. I've been diggin' Seth's Bike Hacks lately, too. You just totally increased my stoke - thanks!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Thanks Lucy and Petey! Of course I tried it again today and could hardly get the wheel off the ground, but progress is seldom linear... well, I'll just keep telling myself that, anyway! 

Thanks for the tip on Seth's Bike Hacks! I think I saw his very comprehensive Walmart bike test a while back, funny stuff. Just subscribed to the channel as I clearly need more MTB material to watch instead of studying for finals!

I finally installed Strava on my phone today after much moral resistance, but it almost instantly proved its worth as a fitness motivator. Generally neither hell nor high water could convince me to go BACK up the Northfield hill climb after I've already ridden up and down once--at that point I assume I've earned a date with Ben and Jerry and go home. But just inform me that someone is 10 seconds faster than me on the gnarliest downhill segment, and I'm like "ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH, DEAR FRIENDS!!!"


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Had a good weekend riding-wise: Saturday we had our last bike class for the semester and Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day that I spent playing around on various trail features.

Spring is in the air and all of the wildflowers are starting to make their appearance. It's a great time to get out and ride!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Trillums, May Apples and riding! <3


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We had similar weather (and fun  in our neck of the woods )

























The Ostrich ferns are not ready yet 








But the small ones are


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Fiddleheads!! Yummy! Love this time of year


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## sooshee (Jun 16, 2012)

Just picked up my 2016 Specialized Rhyme yesterday (after a 5 month wait, oh my goodness!). First time riding a non-XC race type bike. Took a bit getting use to, but then I started having fun!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Congratulations on the new ride! Ride report?


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Congrats on the new ride, Sooshee!!

Last night I finally crashed in one of those very fast, very steep places on the trail where I always think, "Gee, it would really suck to crash here!" Going for a PR on Strava had NOTHING to do with it, I am positive! 


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content








"Mistakes were made."


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Ow! LOL, love your attitude, though. "Mistakes were made"...ha ha ha, that's how we learn, right?


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Ouch, ryetoast! That's some good burn there!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

ryetoast said:


> Congrats on the new ride, Sooshee!!
> 
> Last night I finally crashed in one of those very fast, very steep places on the trail where I always think, "Gee, it would really suck to crash here!" Going for a PR on Strava had NOTHING to do with it, I am positive!
> 
> ...


Awe man. Bummer. Love that expression though for sure. Heal up quick.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Thanks all! Definitely feeling the full body ache today... Ah well, dirt flu.  My back/shoulder/neck are pretty toast, hopefully better in time for the race on Sunday! It's supposed to be 45 degrees F and raining, so I'm sure I will be at my most chipper either way. My poor pit crew/boyfriend!

No ride today but I did (accidentally) accomplish a long-time goal while procrastinating in the yard--wheelie-ing my bike over backward and landing on my feet. I can now do it pretty consistently on purpose, which I think will be confidence inspiring for the whole trying NOT to flip over backwards part, knowing that if it does go pear-shaped, I'll likely survive.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Ouch, Ryetoast! Great pic though. Hope you heal up quick and have fun at the race.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

ryetoast said:


> Thanks all! Definitely feeling the full body ache today... Ah well, dirt flu.  My back/shoulder/neck are pretty toast, hopefully better in time for the race on Sunday! It's supposed to be 45 degrees F and raining, so I'm sure I will be at my most chipper either way. My poor pit crew/boyfriend!
> 
> No ride today but I did (accidentally) accomplish a long-time goal while procrastinating in the yard--wheelie-ing my bike over backward and landing on my feet. I can now do it pretty consistently on purpose, which I think will be confidence inspiring for the whole trying NOT to flip over backwards part, knowing that if it does go pear-shaped, I'll likely survive.


I remember back in the 90's having a HUGE fall that caused internal stuff to shift. My whole body ached so bad I said I felt like "One Big PAIN".

Love that. Dirt Flu is great.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Glad it wasn't a faceplant


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Yikes, gmats! Glad you're still riding after that, that sounds horrible!

Enduro practice today was awesome. Shoulder a little non-responsive but easy to ignore once moving. Got challenged to a wheelie-off by some 14-year old kid and lost atrociously, then found a bunch of other ladies to ride with, which NEVER happens--so that alone was worth the price of admission! It's gonna be four very pedally stages with no lift assist, so I'm feeling relatively good about my hardtail...

But it was muddy. Like slide-off-the-hill-sideways muddy in places, and a BB-deep rut in others. And tonight and tomorrow, it's supposed to be pouring rain. Makes me think, top riders must have private tracks they can practice on in the wet, because around here at least, the trails close as soon as someone feels a raindrop. Given the bike-swallowing ruts I saw today, I can see why, but it does leave one feeling a little unprepared!

I made a spiffy enduro fender for the trusty steed out of part of a binder tonight. Hopefully less mud on the glasses tomorrow!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> But it was muddy. Like slide-off-the-hill-sideways muddy in places, and a BB-deep rut in others. And tonight and tomorrow, it's supposed to be pouring rain. Makes me think, top riders must have private tracks they can practice on in the wet, because around here at least, the trails close as soon as someone feels a raindrop. Given the bike-swallowing ruts I saw today, I can see why, but it does leave one feeling a little unprepared!
> View attachment 1070431


If you're looking for muddy practice, keep an eye out for (unposted) logging roads already torn up by skidders. As long as they are not working, that is (you'll hear them) - we don't want any trees falling on you. Good luck today, conditions should be terrible!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Looks like a great day for a ride, Stripes! I'm jealous!  Bummer about the shoulder. I think that's pretty much the boat I'm in now too after Wednesday's elbow-skinning extravaganza. Everything else has cleared up but my shoulder is still super stiff and sore. Actually it felt better AFTER my race today than before, just because I think it loosened it up a little!

mtbxplorer, good call!! I will do that...after I'm done enjoying being warm, dry and clean, of course! It was horrendous out there today.

The race went about as well as I could hope for a first try. The first stage went super awesome and my time from that one was actually 2nd-best in my class! The conditions and the trails both got much tougher as the day went on, and I wound up in a respectable 4th after having a bunch of really dumb crashes. I was havin' too much fun! 

The highlight of my day was getting to two-wheel drift around muddy corners--persons of my speed or lack thereof don't really get to do that when the ground isn't well-lubricated!

Some pics, courtesy of my boyfriend:








Still full of energy on stage 1...








The best part of my day, oozing around tight corners in the muck!








Working on the ol' 1000-yard stare...








About to do something stupid...








Doing something stupid. Didn't commit, landed nose down, bottomed the fork out, lost pedal, gouged up my shin, rode out of it with my baggy shorts halfway down my butt after snagging them on the seat on my way back onto the saddle! Good thing this week is over before I land myself in the ER!








Somebody needs a bath! I made the fender out of the cover of an old binder last night and was really glad I did.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Whoa, awesome, ryetoast! I couldn't wait to hear how your first enduro went! Congrats on the solid finish! My first enduro is this Sunday and we pre-rode 3 of the 4 stages last Saturday... I think I'm going to die. There's supposedly over 7k feet of climbing to get to the stages! We rode half of that (and shuttled one of the descents) and I was spent. I am confident in the two long descents, but the shorter descent that we rode is one of the most technical trails I've ever been on. Steep slabs, huge drops (with ride-arounds, thank god), and a drop/slab feature that I couldn't believe I actually rode (it was the scariest thing I've ever ridden. It was about two feet of vertical rock with a nice roll-out to the bottom after that. It's completely rollable, so I rolled it. Haha!). Thankfully, we shouldn't have to be dealing with any mud - it should be quite dry here next weekend. I think my goal will be to stay on my bike! I am also hoping the race organizers come back and say that only the pros are doing all four stages and that the amateurs don't have to do the 2,300ft ascent twice. I honestly don't know how 4 stages + 7k feet of climbing is possible in 8 hours! Ah, I am so nervous!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

mtbher said:


> Whoa, awesome, ryetoast! I couldn't wait to hear how your first enduro went! Congrats on the solid finish! My first enduro is this Sunday and we pre-rode 3 of the 4 stages last Saturday... I think I'm going to die. There's supposedly over 7k feet of climbing to get to the stages! We rode half of that (and shuttled one of the descents) and I was spent. I am confident in the two long descents, but the shorter descent that we rode is one of the most technical trails I've ever been on. Steep slabs, huge drops (with ride-arounds, thank god), and a drop/slab feature that I couldn't believe I actually rode (it was the scariest thing I've ever ridden. It was about two feet of vertical rock with a nice roll-out to the bottom after that. It's completely rollable, so I rolled it. Haha!). Thankfully, we shouldn't have to be dealing with any mud - it should be quite dry here next weekend. I think my goal will be to stay on my bike! I am also hoping the race organizers come back and say that only the pros are doing all four stages and that the amateurs don't have to do the 2,300ft ascent twice. I honestly don't know how 4 stages + 7k feet of climbing is possible in 8 hours! Ah, I am so nervous!


7000+ feet and 8 hours or riding!!! OMG. Where will it be? I don't think we even HAVE that much elevation gain available in VT--the enduro I just did was not even half that! Coming from the background of longer-than-pleasant enduro motorcycle races, though, I've found I stay in much better spirits if I force myself to consume some carbs at basically every possible opportunity, even if I don't feel hungry. I brought a bunch of those Gu shots and Clif bars on this recent bicycle enduro and those worked perfectly. Good luck and have fun!!!

(And I hear ya about the technical stuff--I was really worried that I was going to accidentally forget which line was the ride-around and launch to my death on this one, but I guess my survival instincts are working.  You'll do great!)


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Was your race here, ryetoast? Awesome stuff/pix!! https://www.bikeexchange.com/blog/vittoria-eastern-states-cup-victory-hill-enduro-results


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

mtbxplorer said:


> Was your race here, ryetoast? Awesome stuff/pix!! https://www.bikeexchange.com/blog/vittoria-eastern-states-cup-victory-hill-enduro-results


Yes, that's it! There are some wonderful pics of me looking like I'm about to cry/die if you dig through the archive on Roots and Rain, too--I may have to purchase one for facebook, or better yet, LinkedIn! XD


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

mtbxplorer said:


> Was your race here, ryetoast? Awesome stuff/pix!! https://www.bikeexchange.com/blog/vittoria-eastern-states-cup-victory-hill-enduro-results


Wow! That's a lot of mud! Looks like a blast!

Thanks for the tips on the food, ryetoast! I definitely ran out of calories on the pre-ride - I had a couple of Clif bars, but we forgot to bring a lunch. A couple of bars and a beer during a full day of riding just isn't quite enough. One of our riding partners brought a couple of burritos and would eat half of one after every stage. I think that's the way to go. Burritos or PB&J. They'll have food during the race, but I heard they ran out quickly last year (granted, last year it was a New Mexico/local race; this year it's part of the Big Mountain Enduro series, so I am guessing it'll be a little more organized).

They released the map of the courses this morning - it's exactly what we thought it would be. They are still saying we'll climb twice to the tower. Ugh. These trails are about 20 minutes outside of Santa Fe and since we're at the very southern tip of the Rockies, we definitely have a lot of elevation nearby. The problem is that the trail to the top of the two long descents includes quite a bit of hike-a-bike - not that it's technical, it's just that steep (and loose). One of the Yeti factory riders was there last Saturday as well and was in front of our group - he rode it all, but even he said it was quite challenging! I think it took us 2 hours to make that climb (a little over 6 miles). It tops out at over 10k feet and I could definitely feel the elevation towards the top. My husband thinks that they'll make us do the big climb twice, but then maybe shuttle riders to the two shorter stages (but I can ride to those trails! Haha!). Thankfully, all of the trails end at or near the same spot (where all of the fun and the beer will be at).

I'll let you know if I survive!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

ryetoast said:


> Yes, that's it! There are some wonderful pics of me looking like I'm about to cry/die if you dig through the archive on Roots and Rain, too--I may have to purchase one for facebook, or better yet, LinkedIn! XD


Aloha rye, super epic. Well done! Fun!! Hope you are continuing to heal up.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

One New Thing...

Each ride I try to do one new thing. Whether it be a new logover or bridge, or a climb I've never previously cleaned, I get such a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small it may seem. Today I finally cleaned a loop I've only previously walked. It snakes along a high overhang and ridge above a brook. I'm quite scared of heights and it doesn't help that there's a switchback at the apex of the trail. Today, I decided to work on it until I could clean it without dabbing or getting off my bike, proving to myself that fear truly is in its perception.

I ended the ride visiting one of my favorite loops and drops. Successful ride all around!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Nice!!

Trailwork Saturday morning and a ride this morning with the dog. Best part was he did not chase any deer, and actually watched a coyote walk down an adjacent trail, only about 50' away from us while I was taking a break. Beautiful coat and tail. Also, another Barre Bombers ride Friday night on the 16'rs (li'l kids bikes), route was from my house to town, someone hit 44 mph on his 16'r. I'm sure I did not go that fast, but it sure was fun.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Looks like a great weekend! Cool shot on the little bikes, too.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Woo hoo! Nice!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Love the "one new thing" idea, Petey! I'll have to try that too. I end up riding alone a lot, which makes me a little bit of a chicken (Haha, that sounds totally infantile when typed out! I just don't want to have to butt-scoot out of the woods with a broken ankle if I totally bin it all by myself, ya know?). Last year, I used to section things and try new features basically every time I went riding with some guys from school, but now that they've graduated, I'm on my own and less inclined to try new things. BUT, the local trails are all pretty much open at last, so next week I'm gonna try to get to a club ride and befriend some people who are faster than me! 

Rode some super technical trails in town with the BF on Thursday, did a solo cruise on the jump/flow trails a few towns over Friday, raced on my dirt bike Saturday, and went on a leisurely pedal with some friends and their two little rippas, 5 and 8, this morning.

Cell phone pic of my significant other riding out of the sunset on Thursday:


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Sweet, rye! I spend most of my weekends riding alone. I use some of that time to section areas I'd like to work on. That way, there's no pressure of holding anyone up or getting bored. I can decide how much time I want to spend on any given area. I start small and my risks are calculated and usually quite low - it's all about getting the technique down for me. Then, when I'm out on a group ride, I can go a little bigger knowing others are around. Some of our group rides are now session rides, too, and usually encompass all levels.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

I survived!!! And I finished the race!!!

Wow, enduros are not to be messed with! They started us out backwards - the under-21 group, followed by the women' s 40+, then my group (21-39), then men's 40+... and the pros last. The first and second stages were the long ones that required us to do the 2,600 ft climb to the tower twice. Everyone was pushing their bike up the super-steep, loose section, so I didn't feel so bad walking. The first stage was long and fast and had some pedally sections - I felt I did pretty well on that one (I was 8th out of 10). When I finished that stage, I immediately started the climb again to do the second stage (I just wanted to get it over with!). I met a couple of ladies from Colorado Springs who were crushing it (one passed me on the first stage and the other passed me on the second). There wasn't much of a line when we reached the top, so we didn't have to wait long to descend. I crashed in one of the steep, loose switchbacks at the top, but it was a soft, powdery crash. I held it for the rest of the stage (it was a bit more technical than the first stage, especially at the bottom. I forgot about a huge step-up and had to stop and walk it - I would have walked it even if I had remembered it; the rock is about 4 feet high). 8th out of 10 on that stage, too. I thought I was hauling! After that stage, I stopped at our truck to eat and rest for about 20 minutes before tackling the next (much shorter) climb. I thought about waiting for my husband (he was racing, too), but I didn't know how long he had to wait at the top (it ended up being an hour or so), so I headed out by myself. The cut-off I was trying to make was 4pm - if you were not finished with Stage 3 by 4pm, you were cut off. I had plenty of time. Stage 3 was the most technical stage (and probably my favorite stage). I did screw up a few lines (thank god for suspension!) and I did dab twice, but I made it down without any crashes (whew! And I was 5th fastest on that stage). When we got to the bottom, Stage 4 wasn't even open yet. I decided to stop by the truck again, refuel, and then start the climb. I got to the top and it still wasn't open, but we only had to wait about 15-20 minutes (they didn't have enough medics to cover all 4 stages and there were still riders on Stage 1). I was lucky to be one of the first 30 or 40 to descend Stage 4. The organizers re-routed the lower half of the stage and didn't allow anyone to pre-ride it (you could walk it, though). It was fun and scary all at the same time. I almost ate it in a rock garden, but I recovered and flew down the final two steep switchbacks. I yelled as I crossed the line. I was so happy do be done and to have completed all of it! My phone said I did about 7400 feet over 34.4 miles. My legs (and my butt!) say the same... haha! I am still waiting for the results - I don't know where I finished! (somewhere in the middle, I am guessing). But my goal was to just complete it - in one piece - and I did! 

Unfortunately, my husband, Kyle, didn't do as well. He was in the largest group (men's 21-39) and he had to wait around a while at the tops of the stages. He crashed hard at the top of Stage 1 - he hit a tree in a switchback and messed up his ankle pretty good. He finished the stage, found an ACE bandage, wrapped it up, and did Stage 2 (and crashed 2 more times). He was quite shaken up by then, but he went on to Stage 3 and rode through the pain (by this time he was mixed up with the pro riders). He finished Stage 3 around the same time that I finished Stage 4 (5pm), and he decided that was it - he didn't want to do Stage 4 after sundown (the pros were coming down it around 7:30pm). There were a LOT of pissed off riders... the organizers kinda screwed up big time with the timing on this one. Not only that, but some of the timing chips malfunctioned (including mine!) and so many of us didn't know what our Stage 4 time was before we left around 8:30pm.

That was seriously the hardest thing I've ever done physically. I'm not sure I want to do it again! Maybe a more mellow enduro... we have a local one coming up in August, I think.








(this was from our practice run last Friday - this is the rock drop that scared me the previous weekend. This time, no big deal! And it's good that I learned to not fear it because there was no B-line option for this feature!)








Mike, our friend/team captain/bike shop owner descending the last part of Stage 4. I took this right before he crashed in the last switchback (after a flawless run) and ran across the finish line, dragging his bike by the front wheel.








Even Richie Rude struggled to find the line on Stage 4! (the line is the rock drop just to the left, over the Yeti banner). Okay, so he rode the stage blind (he didn't even pre-walk it). Supposedly he rode ALL of the stages blind - and still crushed everyone.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Wow, congrats, that is a lot of trail miles and a lot of climbing. Love the pic coming down the rock!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

mtbher said:


> I survived!!! And I finished the race!!!
> 
> Wow, enduros are not to be messed with! They started us out backwards - the under-21 group, followed by the women' s 40+, then my group (21-39), then men's 40+... and the pros last. The first and second stages were the long ones that required us to do the 2,600 ft climb to the tower twice. Everyone was pushing their bike up the super-steep, loose section, so I didn't feel so bad walking. The first stage was long and fast and had some pedally sections - I felt I did pretty well on that one (I was 8th out of 10). When I finished that stage, I immediately started the climb again to do the second stage (I just wanted to get it over with!). I met a couple of ladies from Colorado Springs who were crushing it (one passed me on the first stage and the other passed me on the second). There wasn't much of a line when we reached the top, so we didn't have to wait long to descend. I crashed in one of the steep, loose switchbacks at the top, but it was a soft, powdery crash. I held it for the rest of the stage (it was a bit more technical than the first stage, especially at the bottom. I forgot about a huge step-up and had to stop and walk it - I would have walked it even if I had remembered it; the rock is about 4 feet high). 8th out of 10 on that stage, too. I thought I was hauling! After that stage, I stopped at our truck to eat and rest for about 20 minutes before tackling the next (much shorter) climb. I thought about waiting for my husband (he was racing, too), but I didn't know how long he had to wait at the top (it ended up being an hour or so), so I headed out by myself. The cut-off I was trying to make was 4pm - if you were not finished with Stage 3 by 4pm, you were cut off. I had plenty of time. Stage 3 was the most technical stage (and probably my favorite stage). I did screw up a few lines (thank god for suspension!) and I did dab twice, but I made it down without any crashes (whew! And I was 5th fastest on that stage). When we got to the bottom, Stage 4 wasn't even open yet. I decided to stop by the truck again, refuel, and then start the climb. I got to the top and it still wasn't open, but we only had to wait about 15-20 minutes (they didn't have enough medics to cover all 4 stages and there were still riders on Stage 1). I was lucky to be one of the first 30 or 40 to descend Stage 4. The organizers re-routed the lower half of the stage and didn't allow anyone to pre-ride it (you could walk it, though). It was fun and scary all at the same time. I almost ate it in a rock garden, but I recovered and flew down the final two steep switchbacks. I yelled as I crossed the line. I was so happy do be done and to have completed all of it! My phone said I did about 7400 feet over 34.4 miles. My legs (and my butt!) say the same... haha! I am still waiting for the results - I don't know where I finished! (somewhere in the middle, I am guessing). But my goal was to just complete it - in one piece - and I did!
> 
> ...


WOHOOO!!! That is so awesome! Great read, great pics, and great job finishing what sounds like a crazy marathon of a race! Hope your hubby heals up quick. Do you think you'll do another one? Sounds punishing but very fun!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Congrats mtbher ... you smashed it! Keep riding


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Woo hoo!! All great stuff! Terrific pics, mtbher - way to conquer that drop! I may have missed it, but what are you riding?


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks, everyone! They finally posted the results... I came in 7th out of 10 (not DFL!). I made a lot of mistakes, so I am pretty darn happy with my finish (and I know what I need to work on for next time!). A lot of riders quit after the second or third stage; I am happy to say that all of us ladies in the 21-39 amateur category finished!! I rode with some very strong women!



ryetoast said:


> WOHOOO!!! That is so awesome! Great read, great pics, and great job finishing what sounds like a crazy marathon of a race! Hope your hubby heals up quick. Do you think you'll do another one? Sounds punishing but very fun!


It's taking me a few days to recover mentally from the race, but I am starting to warm up to the idea of doing another one. I don't think I'll do the next BME series race (in Keystone in July - entry fee is $200 - yikes!), but there is a local race in August that I'll probably do. It's 8 stages over 2 days and only ~4,000ft of climbing (only!). How about you? Are you hooked on enduro racing now? 



petey15 said:


> Woo hoo!! All great stuff! Terrific pics, mtbher - way to conquer that drop! I may have missed it, but what are you riding?


I am on a Kona Process 153. I just got it less than a month ago and it rocks! It is totally designed for this kind of riding - it handled the terrain beautifully and it saved my ass on numerous occasions! I really can't say enough about this bike - I also can't believe I rode (and pushed) a 30+lb bike up almost 7500ft. It pedals remarkably well for having 6" of travel. I look forward to taking it to the bike park soon.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

mtbher said:


> I am on a Kona Process 153. I just got it less than a month ago and it rocks! It is totally designed for this kind of riding - it handled the terrain beautifully and it saved my ass on numerous occasions! I really can't say enough about this bike - I also can't believe I rode (and pushed) a 30+lb bike up almost 7500ft. It pedals remarkably well for having 6" of travel. I look forward to taking it to the bike park soon.


I was checking it out - holy cow, isn't the reach really long?


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

petey15 said:


> I was checking it out - holy cow, isn't the reach really long?


Hmm, I never noticed the reach to be overly long, but I ride XC 29ers, so I guess I am just used to a longer reach. I also have a longer torso with respect to my overall height. I can definitely get back over the rear tire without issue. At first the bike felt big to me, but once I cut about 1.5 cm off each end of the handlebars, it fit like a glove. I am 5'7" and I am riding a medium.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

mtbher said:


> It's taking me a few days to recover mentally from the race, but I am starting to warm up to the idea of doing another one. I don't think I'll do the next BME series race (in Keystone in July - entry fee is $200 - yikes!), but there is a local race in August that I'll probably do. It's 8 stages over 2 days and only ~4,000ft of climbing (only!). How about you? Are you hooked on enduro racing now?


$200 entry fee = yikes indeed! I had a blast and would love to do another enduro, but they are a bit expensive on a student budget, and if my fellow racers speak the truth, the one I just raced is the only one in the series that's safely rideable on a 29er hardtail. I can see myself getting seriously addicted after I graduate next year, though! In the meantime, I'm gonna try to work on technique and fitness - so that I'll be prepared for the day when I can no longer blame my bike for my lack of speed!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

On two wheels every day this week and last except Friday, which is becoming the unofficial rest/party day. Showed up at a local club ride for the first time on Tuesday and was surprised to find that the group was mostly (FAST!!!) women! Super fun times. 

Shoulder still kinda borked. Should probably lay off it... Wish it would rain so I'd have a more compelling reason to stay home and read!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

My hubby is back to riding since he had shoulder surgery 6 weeks ago for a torn labrum. Easing back and progressing to longer rides (no off road yet, so sticking to road, gravel and rail trail this weekend)


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Cyclelicious, good to hear your hubby is on the mend! Shoulder surgery sounds like a whole lot of no fun.

Survived another enduro on my hardtail on Sunday, this time at a real ski resort with real roots, rocks, DH segments and drops. Finished 10th out of 22 in women's amateur, which is about 12 positions better that I thought I'd do! Had a great time, overcame some serious nerves, and got to ride with (or increasingly far behind!) some badass, super-fast women.








These ESC races each have one timed climb and I won it for my class, though I think I was the only person who actually tried to sprint. 3 minutes well spent--I won a sweet pair of "Fox Racing Sox"!








One of the photographers on course caught this epic shot of me--it's seriously the best picture of me ever taken. I should call that guy to do my wedding if I ever get married! 

The race writeup over on pinkbike: Vittoria ESC BOX Components East Coast Showdown, Round Two, Killington - Pinkbike


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> View attachment 1080565
> 
> One of the photographers on course caught this epic shot of me--it's seriously the best picture of me ever taken.


Great pic, ryetost, and congrats on the successful race!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

^ Glad your husband is on the mend, cyclelicious! Any day on two wheels is a good day!

@ryetoast - awesome pics! Congrats on your race - that course looked really technical - especially on a hardtail!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Awe Licious, so good to hear he is on the mend. Wish him speedy recovery from Hawaii. Nice pics!!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Went to a women's ride from one of the local clubs last night and there had to have been 30 women there! It was epic--rode some new trails, tried some burly lines that I've never ridden before, and met tons of new lady MTBers to ride with in the future. 

Only bummer was, there were so many of us that the cops showed up threatening to tow all the cars that had spilled out of the parking lot and onto the road! Laid down a pretty good time on a gnarly descent on the way to rescue my vehicle.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> Survived another enduro on my hardtail on Sunday, this time at a real ski resort with real roots, rocks, DH segments and drops. Finished 10th out of 22 in women's amateur, which is about 12 positions better that I thought I'd do! Had a great time, overcame some serious nerves, and got to ride with (or increasingly far behind!) some badass, super-fast women.
> 
> These ESC races each have one timed climb and I won it for my class, though I think I was the only person who actually tried to sprint. 3 minutes well spent--I won a sweet pair of "Fox Racing Sox"!
> 
> ...


Whoa, that's awesome, ryetoast! Congrats on the solid placing! And sick shot! I keep hoping for a shot like that from one of my races, but so far they have been taken at less aggressive parts of the course and I have a silly (not very flattering) grin on my face. But hey, at least I look like I'm having fun (even though I am usually cursing from the pain and the fatigue)!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and I'll pass along your encouraging vibe to my hubby. 

BTW Truly badass shreddin pic ryetoast!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Replaced a bridge on Screamin' Demon Sunday with the Millstone trail crew. These style bridges work great, especially on faster or steeper crossings. You just put the center support a little lower than the outside two, and alternate the 2x4's. The crew chief made a great packboard for toting lumber using an old frame pack.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

*Old School Xplorin' out the back door*








Snomo trail








Hilltop view of Camel's Hump and Barre VT








Keeper on a gnarly tree








Sap lines for your VT maple syrup








Com tower


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Great pictures, mtbxplorer! Is that the cell tower up on Irish Hill? That's quite the climb if so! I've only ever made it all the way up there on a bike with a motor!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Great pics!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks! Not Irish Hill, just VAST and ATV trails a few miles from home in Barre Town, above Thurman Dix Reservoir about 1800'. The Reservoir is worth a drive by if you go to Millstone, today there was a bald eagle hanging out, and also loons


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Nice trail work pics, mtbxplorer! That bridge looks great.

Yesterday, I took some time out of caring for my very sick kitty to go pre-ride a couple of stages for the local enduro race this weekend (and hopefully clear my head). One of the two trails are rather difficult to access (no road/parking lot/anything at the trailhead; it starts at the top of the ski hill and requires either a fire road ride or the dumber idea, hike-a-bike straight up a ski slope. I, of course, chose the latter (the actual race will entail the former). The trail was nice - nothing technical, but loose with lost of fist-sized rocks ready to kick your wheel off in another direction. I got to the end of the trail and that's where the rest of my "pre-ride" went wrong - I followed another trail that I thought was the main trail back to my truck, but instead it ended into some double-track, which I followed for a while... in the wrong direction! I eventually stopped, looked at the GPS on my phone, and then had the even more brilliant idea of trying to bushwhack a straight line back to my truck instead of backtrack along the double-track. Through a burn area (5 years ago - lots of downed trees to cross over and lots of thick lower vegetation - including some very thorny bushes). I also failed to notice the canyon lying between me and my truck. Yeah... so I dragged my bike down into the canyon and back out (very slow going) and I finally found some more double-track (and an SUV with a lady trying to frantically get her two dogs back in it - they ran up to me and nipped at my ankles after I stopped). At this point, I knew where I was at and I caught the paved road back up to my truck. It was too late to ride the other trail (good thing is it's short and looks pretty easy - easier than the one I rode - so riding it blind on Saturday won't be a biggie). I did about 1900 ft of climbing overall, most of it unintentionally hike-a-bike... :eekster: 

I'm going to pre-ride two more stages today - they are right on the edge of town and a lot easier to follow (and I've ridden one of them before), so I shouldn't get lost this time!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Hilarious adventure, glad you survived, and kudos for finding your way back! Sorry to hear about the sick kitty, and good luck at the enduro!


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^Hilarious adventure, glad you survived, and kudos for finding your way back! Sorry to hear about the sick kitty, and good luck at the enduro!


Thanks, mtbxplorer!

The weekend was bittersweet - the enduro was a lot of fun, despite my lack of focus and energy. I dinged a rim and flatted at the top of the second stage on Day 1 and decided to run down the course with my bike (short stage) and put in a tube after I crossed the finish line. There were only 8 women total - 4 in the open category (including Krista Rust and Syd Schulz) and the other 4 spread over different age categories in the amateur division. I got to hang out a bit with a lady whose whole family is big into mountain biking (daughter was national DH champ in high school for a couple of years) and who had a big hand in developing the trail systems at Pajarito Mountain, where we raced on the second day. She was just out to have fun and take some time for herself on her mountain bike.

With the flat, my overall time wasn't that good, but some of my individual stage times were not too far off a couple of the ladies in the open category (not the pros! Haha!). I did score a pair of Shimano enduro SPD shoes for my second-place finish in the amateur category. 

Sadly, I came home on Sunday to find out that my sick kitty was unable to even stand up anymore, so I had to make the decision to say goodbye that evening. She was 19 years old and put up a damn good fight, but we found out only the Wednesday prior that she had a very aggressive form of oral cancer (on top of hyperthyroidism and kidney disease) and she went downhill so fast after that. I've had her since she was about four weeks old; I found her in my grandparents' garden. It's going to be hard to get used to life without her. She was my little fuzzy cuddle-buddy.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Oh, sorry to hear about your loss, 19 years is a long time. I lost my Toby to kidney disease at 18 after finding 3 kittens you could hold in one hand. Yours sure was a pretty girl. 

Congrats on the race, way to go!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

So sorry to hear about your kitty, mtbher


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks, you guys.  The loss hurts, but the bright side is that a spot opened up in our house to take in another kitty that needs a home (when I am done grieving - and when we get rid of the fleas! We spent last week in Oregon and got a message from our friends who were watching our house and our other kitty that she had fleas! I have never had to deal with fleas before... ). 

XC racing season is starting back up after a summer break, so I've signed up for a race this Sunday. I decided to try to go for the state series championship in my category (which is more a testament to my determination than my athletic abilities - I have been the only one in my category in the last two races. I miss the competition I had in the first two XC races I did!). I rode my XC bike last night for the first time in a while and it wasn't pretty (I didn't crash, though!) - I guess I've been riding the enduro bike way too much lately!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

In the morning I ran 11km and in the afternoon I crossed a river on the last leg of a 40 km ride  It was a fun weekend


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious - that walk through the water looks refreshing! It was a very hot weekend for us in upstate, NY. Glad you had a good time!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks Petey! My shoes have finally dried out! The water levels have been low and this was a good spot to cross. We've had a hot and dry summer


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

So I needed new LinkedIn pictures... 















Raced another enduro and got on the box not last weekend but the weekend before! 2nd place in women's amateur, personal best. (Secret to sudden success? $600 DH bike bought 2 days before the race!)

Of course, immediately after said race I crashed so hard on my victory lap on the DH course that I took myself off the bike for a week... Win some, lose some!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Great pix Ryetoast, love the professional attire!

Leaving for a little overnight today with the dog and Vermont Bicycle Shop!


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

Awesome photos, ryetoast, and congrats on the 2nd place finish!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I haven't posted in a while. We spent the weekend up at a favorite mountain trail system. We checked out a trail we hadn't done before, and then the next day introduced some friends to a trail we have ridden lots. The weather kind of ****ty but the sun came out at the end. This system is up for potential Wilderness Study Designation and you all know what that means.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Gorgeous pics formica. Holy smackers snow!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious said:


> Gorgeous pics formica. Holy smackers snow!


LOL! I was going to say (almost) the same thing! Snow? Actually, I just saw yesterday some pass between Wyoming and Montana is closed now for the season. Kinda hard to imagine with the heat we've had here this summer! Great pics!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

A new semester and a new group of students taking the intro mtb class I help teach. We've incorporated a "bike rodeo" into our first day to help make skills teaching more fun. Front wheel lifts, "tree squeezes", and putting down/picking up cups of water all helped build a nice foundation to work on bigger skills, such as logovers. The fun continued as I rode with my boyfriend later that weekend. He's also a new rider and I've been trying hard to make it fun and not so challenging he gets discouraged. The last picture is of me in my "Sunday Best" enjoying a small kicker. A weekend of riding - what could be better?


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^^Great stuff going on, "loungers"!

It ws just an overnight, but felt longer, in a good way...


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Beautiful pics mtbxplorer. I'm not a fan of camping but that campsite was inviting


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

@mtbxplorer - simply breathtaking - I almost felt like I was out there, too. Bikepacking is on my bucket list of things to try.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks, it was fun! Definitely worth a try, especially if you have some easier trails/dirt roads to bikepack. When it comes to hard singletrack, I don't want to carry tons of stuff.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Wow, lots of awesome pics posted recently! Mtbxplorer, where is that beautiful lake in your last picture?

Raced the last ESC enduro of the season today and finished (a rather distant) third. Not bad considering I was giving serious thought to backing out because of the torrential rain we got early this morning! Did a lot of brake-grabbing, crashing, swearing... but also cleared a couple sections where I was pretty sure I was gonna die. The gals in 1st and 2nd were super fast and consistent despite the wet, muddy, mega-steep, super-technical trails--I wanna do that when I grow up!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

ryetoast said:


> Wow, lots of awesome pics posted recently! Mtbxplorer, where is that beautiful lake in your last picture?
> 
> Raced the last ESC enduro of the season today and finished (a rather distant) third. Not bad considering I was giving serious thought to backing out because of the torrential rain we got early this morning! Did a lot of brake-grabbing, crashing, swearing... but also cleared a couple sections where I was pretty sure I was gonna die. The gals in 1st and 2nd were super fast and consistent despite the wet, muddy, mega-steep, super-technical trails--I wanna do that when I grow up!


That one is Marshfield Pond in Groyon State Forest (not the same as Marshfield Reservoir on rte 2), it is right along the RR grade trail. Last one on this list, which also has a link to a map Ponds and Lakes in Groton State

That rain was insane, congrats on any finish!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Riding home tonight from work, near camo-girl's store, and I slowed for a critter that was running and halfway across the road...squirrel - no, too big...cat - no, not quite...skunk - yes, FULL STOP. He stopped and ran back the other way, disaster averted! If you are skunked, I don't think you can just ask your friend to come help, you have to suffer through. Thoughts?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

There's a YouTube vid going around of a guy who get surrounded and sniffed by a mama skunk with her kits.


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## 2Canches (Feb 21, 2015)




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## miamia (Sep 6, 2014)

Almost winter.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

Man Alert! That doesn't look like almost. However I am intrigued by your bike, maybe you can post your impressions. I mean your impressions of the bike.


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## miamia (Sep 6, 2014)

It is really nice bike. Best I've ever had. Custom colour, normally they are black, so not many similar ones exists. That model is Evolink 150 L size.
But you probably want to how it rides. It is really long and slack. It climbs really well, you just sit and spin and it goes up no matter how deep the climb is and front end stays in the ground because of the geometry.
In downhills it is like riding the downhill bike, because it is so stable. And most suprising thing is that it also turns really well, because you are in the middle of the bike and front end grip really good.
It could be little lighter specially now, but those studded tires are heavy. Those Fat Freddies weight about 1.5 kg/tire. I have 2 forks for the bike. That MRP is for winter because those Fat Freddies are too big for Dvo Diamond what I have for summer.
And the colour, it is pretty isn't it.


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## Legbacon (Jan 20, 2004)

Thanks, very cool bike.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

The only way to be 100% certain the season is over is to try to ride after it has ended... 









Those 2.1 tires don't float too well...though the little metal spikes do offer some pretty rad traction on ice!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Great pic! Don't put it away yet - it may work well again on Monday, when it drops back down to 4F after 40F and rain on Sunday!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We took advantage of last week's deep freeze to ride some river ice.

































3 days later, warmer temps and rain , melted the ice. (so I ran 12km along the river)


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Last ride of 2016. Had a nice time riding a new trail here in the Colorado front range for me.


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Sweet action shot, Stripes, and Cyclelicious that river ice riding looks way cool. Trying that out is on my to-do list for this winter, if the river would just freeze and stay that way!

We just got a ton of rain, so now the trails are snow-free and booby-trapped with invisible ice floes. Finally glad I bought these spiked tires. 

Saxon hill winter ride Video - Pinkbike


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

ryetoast said:


> Sweet action shot, Stripes, and Cyclelicious that river ice riding looks way cool. Trying that out is on my to-do list for this winter, if the river would just freeze and stay that way!
> 
> We just got a ton of rain, so now the trails are snow-free and booby-trapped with invisible ice floes. Finally glad I bought these spiked tires.
> 
> Saxon hill winter ride Video - Pinkbike


We had a rainy spell and mild temps so most of our river ice is gone. We'll need several days of polar temps to deep freeze the river again. Some winters are primo for ice biking and other winters not so much. In the past, winters that had mild or fluctuating temps, we managed to find some frozen ponds ... which can be fun too.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

ryetoast said:


> Sweet action shot, Stripes, and Cyclelicious that river ice riding looks way cool. Trying that out is on my to-do list for this winter, if the river would just freeze and stay that way!
> 
> We just got a ton of rain, so now the trails are snow-free and booby-trapped with invisible ice floes. Finally glad I bought these spiked tires.
> 
> Saxon hill winter ride Video - Pinkbike


You guys are braver than me. No ice riding for me. I'll stick to dirt jumps, pump tracks, and downhills


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Funday ride. I was able to do a 12km run in the morning. By afternoon, temps dropped to -4c and we got a little more snow. Awesome day!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

^^^ Seeing your adventures never gets old. Talk about enjoying life!!


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## 2Canches (Feb 21, 2015)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Caturday night ride... we were lucky to squeak this in. We got hammered overnight with 15cm of heavy snow


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> Caturday night ride... we were lucky to squeak this in. We got hammered overnight with 15cm of heavy snow
> 
> View attachment 1121238
> 
> ...


That's a lot of snow, especially when it's the heavy stuff.

I'm starting to get some height off the tables now.


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Peaceful










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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Late evening ride. Warm temps melted much of the snow but made the trails icy and slick... thank goodness for studded tires. Traction was good!


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Getting ready to climb south Burma trail










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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

You know you have an awesome wife when you make your living room into a "installing new tires station" and "mavic rear hub overhaul station" and she has no complains.










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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Realizing I can get some serious height on the right bike. Test rode a friend's megatrail and that thing can fly!


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

stripes said:


> Realizing I can get some serious height on the right bike. Test rode a friend's megatrail and that thing can fly!


Stripes... Are you in Boulder?!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Lucy Juice said:


> Stripes... Are you in Boulder?!


Not too far out, so I spend a lot of time in Valmont. PM sent.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Trails here were a little too soft. Frost is leaving the ground and it rains every couple of days. I still wanted to test ride my new bike. So I took it to a school yard and played around. I am pleased so far. Need to adjust the suspension and change the height on my dropper post


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

stripes said:


> Realizing I can get some serious height on the right bike. Test rode a friend's megatrail and that thing can fly!


Hell yeah!!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious said:


> Trails here were a little too soft. Frost is leaving the ground and it rains every couple of days. I still wanted to test ride my new bike. So I took it to a school yard and played around. I am pleased so far. Need to adjust the suspension and change the height on my dropper post
> 
> View attachment 1129481
> 
> ...


Sweet new ride, 'licious! Here's to drier weather and action shots from you, soon!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> Trails here were a little too soft. Frost is leaving the ground and it rains every couple of days. I still wanted to test ride my new bike. So I took it to a school yard and played around. I am pleased so far. Need to adjust the suspension and change the height on my dropper post
> 
> View attachment 1129481
> 
> ...


Oooo. Which Canfield is that? Looks like a fun ride.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks, Anne. It's a Canfield Balance. I'm looking forward to doing some serious shreddin


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

This is not me, nor my bike. This is however an awesome vid of my playground. I ride a lot of the stuff in this vid (not all of it) just not with the speed or "steeze" of Mr. Bike Hub.

https://www.pinkbike.com/video/467863/


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> This is not me, nor my bike. This is however an awesome vid of my playground. I ride a lot of the stuff in this vid (not all of it) just not with the speed or "steeze" of Mr. Bike Hub.
> 
> https://www.pinkbike.com/video/467863/


Wow!! That place looks like tons of fun!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> Thanks, Anne. It's a Canfield Balance. I'm looking forward to doing some serious shreddin


Ahhhh dream bike! I need one to keep my Yelli Screamy company. Canfields are rad. 

Awesome jump pic, Stripes!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

thanks ryetoast  So far I'm liking the Balance.

The local trails are still a bit spongy but drying out. Went for an evening lap


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Beautiful weekend to finally get some Spring trail riding in! After almost 3 feet of snow three weeks ago, followed by tons of rain, the trails were remarkably dry. One of the parks I frequent in upstate, NY was once a part of the Chenango Canal system. The River and Towpath trails hug the Chenango River. Adjacent to the trail are the remnants of the canal, which fill with water and teem with wildlife this time of year.

A painted turtle basking in the sunlight.









A mallard couple foraging along the bank of the canal.









Here's a garter snake sunning himself in the shallow water.









A closeup of one of his buddies who swam up onto the bank.









Dusting some cobwebs off. I'm looking forward to getting my FS bike out soon.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Love your pics petey... I was watching for turtles too, but it may be a bit early; the frost has finally left the ground (This was my funday ride)


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious said:


> Love your pics petey... I was watching for turtles too, but it may be a bit early; the frost has finally left the ground (This was my funday ride)
> 
> View attachment 1131003
> 
> ...


Awesome!! How are you liking the Balance? Looks like such a fun bike! Glad you were able to finally get into the woods. Can't wait to see some pics of you shredding, too!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

I love everyone's pictures! Thanks for sharing. I'm enjoying everyone's experiences :thumbsup: I spend such little time in the forest right now, and I'm hoping that'll change during the summer.

While I'm waiting for my new AM bike to be built, I'm spending time on my DJ.

Today, I got to do my first wall ride


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

stripes said:


> I love everyone's pictures! Thanks for sharing. I'm enjoying everyone's experiences :thumbsup: I spend such little time in the forest right now, and I'm hoping that'll change during the summer.
> 
> While I'm waiting for my new AM bike to be built, I'm spending time on my DJ.
> 
> ...


Woo hoo!!! Great job! Can't wait to see pics of your new bike, too (for obvious reasons, lol).


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

petey15 said:


> Woo hoo!!! Great job! Can't wait to see pics of your new bike, too (for obvious reasons, lol).


Thanks Petey. I'm hoping this weekend I get the new bike.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

stripes said:


> Thanks Petey. I'm hoping this weekend I get the new bike.


Um, you need to post pics. Now! Lol...


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Beautiful day that finally felt, and looked, like Spring! I put away my Muk (for now) and broke out my Trance 29er. I thoroughly enjoyed the "skinny" tires and glorious full-suspension.

I started with my usual climb and came across this on the trail. Luckily I always come prepared 







A few minutes later and I cleared the "fun" line over the whoops someone had made many, many years ago (long before I started riding here)







Brown Creeper who wasn't too stealthy for my camera







Trout Lily







Very pregnant doe







Merlin's magic 







New Bald Eagles' nest across the river from one of the trails. Made me wish for a more powerful lens!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

petey15 said:


> Beautiful day that finally felt, and looked, like Spring! I put away my Muk (for now) and broke out my Trance 29er. I thoroughly enjoyed the "skinny" tires and glorious full-suspension.
> 
> I started with my usual climb and came across this on the trail. Luckily I always come prepared
> View attachment 1133452
> ...


Those are amazing pics. There's a bald eagle nesting ground not far from my house. Haven't been as lucky as you to see that!

And I'll post my write up tomorrow. A bit beat and I have an early morning tomorrow.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Got a new bike last week. Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail SS. I wanted a short travel bike for the parks and to take on the occasional trail ride. I've only ridden trails now 2-3 times in the past 6 months, so you see my priorities 

Testing out the new bike at Ruby Hill. Handles steeps, berms, and just about everything else you throw at it. Or are willing to.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

stripes said:


> Got a new bike last week. Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail SS. I wanted a short travel bike for the parks and to take on the occasional trail ride. I've only ridden trails now 2-3 times in the past 6 months, so you see my priorities
> 
> Testing out the new bike at Ruby Hill. Handles steeps, berms, and just about everything else you throw at it. Or are willing to.
> 
> ...


Sweet ride! Will look forward to some ride reports - for obvious reasons


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Beautiful pics Petey!. The ramps are sprouting and the fiddleheads should be ready for picking by this weekend

Congrats on the new bike Stripes.

A few pics from my weekend (I did a long run (22km) , short run (10km) and 2 big rides. Can't wait for the weekend 

Trilliums are sprouting








On the trail








Testing my new socks 








Bloodroot








On the run (50% road 50% trail) 








Found new garbage that wasn't on the run trail last weekend... humans are disgusting


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious said:


> Beautiful pics Petey!. The ramps are sprouting and the fiddleheads should be ready for picking by this weekend
> 
> Congrats on the new bike Stripes.
> 
> ...


Great pics! Doesn't it feel great to be out on the trails again and see everything starting to come up and bloom? How are you enjoying your Balance?

Humans are disgusting.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> Beautiful pics Petey!. The ramps are sprouting and the fiddleheads should be ready for picking by this weekend
> 
> Congrats on the new bike Stripes.
> 
> ...


Looks like a great run, except the garbage.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I've quit posting pics as I always get error messages now.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

^^^^ Bummer.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> Testing my new socks
> View attachment 1133897


Great socks!! How did they work? Pass the test?


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

gmats said:


> Great socks!! How did they work? Pass the test?


I dunno...they look super bendy/flexy to me - not likely to offer much support


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

petey15 said:


> I dunno...they look super bendy/flexy to me - not likely to offer much support


LOL!! Good answer.............


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Cool pix all, great stuff! Need me some gumby/pokey socks, I used to have a Pokey mojo on the bars. Trails almost open here, cleaning up my adopted trails of winter debris today. Mostly been commuting, yesterday was fun on the BMX cruiser, stopped to pick this up on the way home...


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ ha Gumby and Pokey socks passed the quality control test 

Love the pic mtbxplorer...


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Went for a nice evening ride (after a busy caturday) It's great to end the day with a ride.... although blackflies are coming out... had to dab on a little bug spray


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Great pix, I'm jealous, it is raining and trails are closed! Thank you for the cat/boat meme also, purrfect!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Some pics from recent rides...


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Laying a friend to rest today after a long battle with prostate cancer the sky gave us this. A rainbow around the sun. It was interesting. 









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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

HTR4EVR said:


> Laying a friend to rest today after a long battle with prostate cancer the sky gave us this. A rainbow around the sun. It was interesting.


Awww I'm sorry to hear  That's not easy.

Petey and Cyclious: thanks for the pics 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Thank you🙁 . It has been a hard time.

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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

A weekend of downhilling with hubby and friends. Sore as anything but never quitting. Did two days of loooooong runs. Most of it on a long travel Megatrail and one run on a demo 8 not getting full travel on the fork.


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

I'm freeee! I went into hibernation the last few months while I finished writing my dissertation. I missed all the stoke from the Women's Lounge during that time. I should hopefully have a bit more free time now. 

Stripes, that Megatrail SS looks awesome!

I did manage to sneak in a couple of enduro races - one 2 days before my defense :eekster: and the other last Saturday. I made the crash reel at the latter race! That's me at 1:30... I was completely spent by the time I reached that part of the stage (bottom of final stage, thankfully). Haha!




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1535981419767271


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtbher said:


> I'm freeee! I went into hibernation the last few months while I finished writing my dissertation. I missed all the stoke from the Women's Lounge during that time. I should hopefully have a bit more free time now.
> 
> Stripes, that Megatrail SS looks awesome!
> 
> ...


Congrats on the dissertation. When do you defend?

How was the enduro race? I would have to be able to climb to do one.

I converted the megatrail to full strength. It's a really amazing bike. I'll post more later on it


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## mtbher (Jul 16, 2009)

stripes said:


> Congrats on the dissertation. When do you defend?
> 
> How was the enduro race? I would have to be able to climb to do one.
> 
> I converted the megatrail to full strength. It's a really amazing bike. I'll post more later on it


Thanks, stripes! I defended about a month ago. I am just wrapping up the final formatting and paperwork right now.

Both enduros were challenging. I was not in shape for the first one (the dissertation also cut into my early season riding/training), but I managed to squeak out a third-place finish (it was at the Klondike Trails in Moab, which I've ridden before - for fun. They're rather frightening at race speed...). The BME race was brutal. I did that one last year (and it was a much longer day - 7500 feet of climbing and descending), but for some reason, this year felt harder (with only ~5100 feet of climbing & descending). I am not a strong climber, but they give you plenty of time for the transfers (the BME transfers are steep and one had a lot of hike-a-bike. Ugh). I think I pushed it too hard in the first two stages (and I crashed 3 times at the top of the first stage) and I wasn't able to eat well prior to the race (anxiety) - I think that is why I had a harder time this year.

I have another race this weekend. This one is a two-day enduro - I have not ridden the trails/stages that we will be riding on the first day, but the second day is at Angel Fire bike park here in NM. I love those trails. 

I question my sanity every time I do one of these races...


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A few pics from some recent rides. It's been an interesting spring. Some hot days, some cool days and lots of fun days


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I really, really thought about a new bike. But, I love my Intrigue so I just did a suspension upgrade.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Keep the pics coming. I'm getting my Megatrail sorted out for the summer, and I decided to name it: it's my unicorn because it takes me magical places 

I added some purple bits to the grips and a purple dropper lever and some custom fork stickers to pretty him up a bit:


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Got home from my morning ride and the x-fusion hilo was waiting for me. 









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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Let's see...
Lookout and the pup at Millstone Trails, Barre VT
















New bike for commuting, gravel, other adventures. Orbea Terra


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Sweet little trail pupper  Easy to spot too, wearing the bright coat


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We did an evening ride on Saturday , trail were nice and tacky.... although skeeters were hungry. A big storm rolled in Sunday morning. It was too wet to ride trails so I ran and my hubby joined me on his bike for a 21km run-ride pairing

Saturday

















Sunday


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

1. Really happy with the new suspension
2. Did my second Roam Events women's mountain bike retreat in Whitefish Montana. If you can get yourself to one of these events they are AWESOME.
We hit the bike park on the last day:


__
http://instagr.am/p/BVyMNaFFpE-/


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

Took the new bike out for a spin tonight on my nearest local trail and rode a lot more of it than I have in the past. It's not an easy trail... lots of loose rocks, gravel and sand. I was really impressed with the performance. Loving this bike! 😁









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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Before








After 









Some trail work today.

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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Here's my July is starting. It's either MCL/ACL or just MCL. I was having a really great summer up til this. What happened, I think: I was on a wider bridge, slightly off center line, panicked. Put a foot down ( thinking its a wide bridge, I can save this) and some how lost my balance and went off the other side in a tangle with my bike, about 2 feet or so. I won't know more until end of next week.


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

Ugh, that sucks 

Hope you heal up soon! 

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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

formica said:


> Here's my July is starting. It's either MCL/ACL or just MCL. I was having a really great summer up til this. What happened, I think: I was on a wider bridge, slightly off center line, panicked. Put a foot down ( thinking its a wide bridge, I can save this) and some how lost my balance and went off the other side in a tangle with my bike, about 2 feet or so. I won't know more until end of next week.
> 
> View attachment 1144836


Oh Formica, I'm so sorry.  healing vibes to you. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help you -- at least virtually.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Bummer formica. Hope you have a speedy recovery (Your toes look pretty  )


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

That stinks!! So sorry to hear this. Fingers crossed that it's not that bad and you're back on your bike sooner. Healing vibes comin' your way!


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Best wishes Formica 


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

Ugh, so sorry to hear that, Formica. Hope you're up and moving soon!


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

No riding for a while. Summer clases at Andrews University in Berrien Springs MI

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Sorry to hear about the injury formica, sending you extra patience and something to pass the time https://www.redbull.tv/video/AP-1PWHVXYPS1W11/women-s-dh-finals?playlist=AP-1PWHVXYPS1W11


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Armed with my "big girl hammer" for trailwork on Angry Gnome at Millstone trails VT


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Swinging a hammer is a good workout  Nice solid looking bridge! Also great to see you had a good turnout for the build


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Got in 4 solid DH runs before the lightning cancelled the rest of the day. Going fast enough to get a big bike next 

Also, strength is a lot better. I would be dead and pretty sore after 2 runs at the beginning of the season. Wasn't sore at all the next day. Weight training is paying off.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^Way to go stripes. Keep up the good work 

Recent ride


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Nice riding and scenery, Stripes & Cyclelicious! Thanks for sharing.


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Daughter and mother riding up the steep climb on Constitution Mountain, Orcas Island WA.



















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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

A great ride with my boy, meaning he did not chase any wildlife! An old quarry known as the green lagoon, Millstone Trails VT.









This one is from my trailcam, a fun hobby when you're not biking.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

This happened today.


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

formica said:


> This happened today.
> 
> View attachment 1151834


That is awesome!!!


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Wow! That is super awesome!!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Sweet camper formica!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Whoa!! The ultimate adventure machine!! Can't wait to see pics from your future travels!


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## Namlehse (May 8, 2013)

Took this from my GoPro footage, thought it was a neat picture. My wife on her Liv Hail


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Nice camper  #vanlife 

Namlehse: nice shot!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Been riding a lot of DH this season, even enough to justify getting a new to me DH bike  Working on dropping in. This is about 2.5 feet. Speed is the answer.


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

stripes said:


> Been riding a lot of DH this season, even enough to justify getting a new to me DH bike  Working on dropping in. This is about 2.5 feet. Speed is the answer.


Nice! What did you end up getting?


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

laine said:


> Nice! What did you end up getting?


2015 Scott Gambler 710. Medium. Was a minimally used demo bike at trestle. Came with a saint drivetrain, fox 40, and Zee brakes. Brakes are going on my husband's DH bike, and I put saints on mine (I like the tool less adjustments). Replaced the stem, handlebars, rear suspension spring so it's not too soft, and grips. Price included new rotors, tires (DHF 2.5 DH casing), new brake pads, and next years season pass. 

Basically this is a long low and fast bike. While I can ride my megatrail at trestle, the big bike is so much more confidence inspiring.


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

stripes said:


> 2015 Scott Gambler 710. Medium. Was a minimally used demo bike at trestle. Came with a saint drivetrain, fox 40, and Zee brakes. Brakes are going on my husband's DH bike, and I put saints on mine (I like the tool less adjustments). Replaced the stem, handlebars, rear suspension spring so it's not too soft, and grips. Price included new rotors, tires (DHF 2.5 DH casing), new brake pads, and next years season pass.
> 
> Basically this is a long low and fast bike. While I can ride my megatrail at trestle, the big bike is so much more confidence inspiring.


That's awesome! We're driving down to Mammoth with some friends for Labor Day, so going to take a drops lesson there.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I tried dirt biking for the first time . I went with my hubby who dirt biked 30+ years ago. (He got bumped to the advanced group... he was smashing it)

On the other hand, I had never driven a standard so the manual position for braking, gear sifting etc wasn't intuitive and quite different than mtb . But with the morning spent practicing, I got the hang of some important basics and by afternoon I was riding the double track. At one point we had to yield to an equestrian group, and one of the lady riders got trapped off trail in the weeds... but it was all good learning. No one got dropped 

I really enjoyed the technical riding , and I appreciated that my DH experience came in handy. Many of the beginner riders could not stand up in the pegs because they didn't have the strength or balance; nor ride soft sand, or pick lines to ride technical ie rooty or rutty sections. By the end of the day I felt confident for some (easy ) single track 

There were only 2 other women besides myself (all newbies)... mother and daughter. They did well and had fun. I felt that my mtb/dh skills really helped as well as strength training. This type of riding is very physical and requires a considerable amount of core, upper and lower body strength. I had a rad day.


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

Cyclelicious- that looks awesome! I've always wanted to try dirt biking. I have a motorcycle license and used to own a bike, but sold it because freeway riding made me nervous. So I haven't ridden a motorcycle in about 5 years. Was it an intro clinic where they provided everything? Would you do it again?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks laine. Yes it was an intro clinic and everything was included. I brought my DH helmet , goggles and gloves but had to switch my helmet to their DOT approved one. They supplied all the gear (boots, pads, clothing) and bikes. We brought our own lunch

















It was a well organized affair! They had half day or full day. We did the full day. At first, I practiced riding on a small dirt track, then on to a larger track etc 
I received as much supervision as I needed. The instructors were patient and made learning fun.
I loved riding dirt! I'd definitely do it again and I am now contemplating getting my own bike. The one I rode was a 150cc Honda it was a good size for me.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Oh my gosh!!! That looks like so much fun - I've always wanted to try dirt biking!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I had the pre-op meeting with the surgeon yesterday. Surgery is Friday. He thinks he can use my existing knee scars so he doesn't have to make new ones.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Formica: good luck with surgery today.

Cyclelicous: looks like fun 

Getting low when getting speed. This is steeper than it looks.

Definitely been having some interesting times biking this year. In Colorado, my riding seasons have changed:
Summer - downhill 
Fall / spring / winter trail riding 
Snow (nonconsecutive from oct to may) - looking to get a midfat 650b running 3.0 tires for the snow.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Good news from the surgeon: went really well. The MCL healed on its own which they didn't know until they got in there. My hamstring that they used was really strong (benefits of working out) so that's really good, too. No mcl repair means I can be weight bearing to tolerance right away, instead of locked straight. Still it may be 9 months + for 100%.

DH is taking really good care of me.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Great news Formica, sending healing vibes for your recovery. Cycle;icious, thanks for the dirt bike clinic report,, great job!


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

Yayyyy cyclelicious, welcome to the dark side!  I'm so stoked you tried dirt biking, we desperately need more women in the sport! (If anyone feels like MTB is a sausage party, just show up at a motocross track, you'll feel better immediately ) I've found dirt biking really helped my mountain biking as well--it is a great upper body workout, it gets you used to higher speeds, and dirt bikes are easier to jump than MTBs in my opinion so it helped me get used to air time as well.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, formica!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

It's been a while since I posted and it's been a busy summer. Ordered a bike the end of June and it finally arrived on Monday. Many thanks to Stripes for answering endless questions and providing tons of advice. Introducing Donatello! He's a Guerrilla Gravity Shred Dogg (I know it says MegaTrail on the pics, but it used to go by MegaTrail SS and I don't think they had purple decals for the new name). Can't WAIT to shred the trails this weekend!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

petey15 said:


> It's been a while since I posted and it's been a busy summer. Ordered a bike the end of June and it finally arrived on Monday. Many thanks to Stripes for answering endless questions and providing tons of advice. Introducing Donatello! He's a Guerrilla Gravity Shred Dogg (I know it says MegaTrail on the pics, but it used to go by MegaTrail SS and I don't think they had purple decals for the new name). Can't WAIT to shred the trails this weekend!


Glad you finally got it, and happy to help. It's nice to have someone to compare notes with on the bike 

I can't wait to see riding pics.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I am almost 4 weeks out from ACL reconstruction surgery. I can finally ride my trainer, zero resistance, for 20 minutes a day. Woohoo!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> I am almost 4 weeks out from ACL reconstruction surgery. I can finally ride my trainer, zero resistance, for 20 minutes a day. Woohoo!!


Yay!! That's great news! Best wishes for continued healing :thumbsup:


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks for the encouragement mtbxplorer & ryetoast.

Lookin good stripes!

Sweet bike Petey... keep us updated on your rides


Great news formica... keep progressing! 


If I missed anyone ... big shout out to all.... and keep shreddin


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Spend the long weekend (Canuck Thanksgiving) riding Vallee Bras du Nord trails in Quebec (a beautiful trail network between Montreal and Quebec City)


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Great pictures, cyclelicious!! What a beautiful place to ride. Looks like you're enjoying your Balance!

How do you like the G-form knee pads? 

I'm really lovin' my new Guerrilla Gravity Shred Dogg. I went with Stripes' advice in regards to sizing and gearing - and couldn't be happier. It really helps when you have a friend who is the same height and inseam to steer you in the right direction  

This weekend I worked on getting used to how it felt in the air (well, as much air as I tend to get). Holy cow - this bike is FAR more capable than I am (well, maybe I'm capable...I just need to believe it, lol). At one point I had a guy watching me who came over and asked if I needed a videographer and that (I) was impressive. I don't know about that, but made me feel like I was doing something right. 

Any concerns I had about climbing on this bike were completely erased. I scrambled up several loose and rooty climbs I normally struggle with and *almost* made another I NEVER make. I think I was so surprised I blew my concentration and ended up veering off my line. Climbing out of the saddle felt completely natural and balanced on this bike. I didn't feel like I had to really get over the front of the bike and my rear tire never slipped out (a frequent occurrence with my old bike). 

Needless to day, I'm still reveling in the "new bike stoke"  The old bike, which did me well for 5 years has now gone to someone who's been wanting a FS bike for quite a while. Win - win!!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Hi Petey

I've had those G forms for a few years and only wore them once (it was for a winter ride and I wore them under my riding pants). I didn't wear them again until this trip which was like a test. I liked that they were low profile (not bulky like my TLD) They were very easy to pedal (hardly noticeable). We rode alot of technical sections as well as lot's of climbs, and some very fun descents. Fortunately I kept the rubberside down. 

I will continue to wear them especially since I'm riding more enduro style now. So I plan to continue wearing them when I normally wouldn't use the typical huge knee pads because the G forms are so unobtrusive I don't mind wearing them. They'll be good for winter riding as well.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

A couple of weekends ago, I finally went to moab. What an amazing experience.

Rode Navajo Rocks and the Klondike Bluffs Area. Hiked around a bit on the slickrock trail.


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

It was like this









The volunteers repaired it like this.

The shoreline trail at China camp state park. Totally worth the wait, thank you trail workers.

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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Somehow we went from summer, straight to winter in the northeast. We've had single-digit windchills the last couple of days and a dusting of snow on the ground. Still, I needed to get out, get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Cleaning the kicker that was a mental thing for me for the past year. It's about knee height (18") and launches you upward so you get lined up for the wall ride immediately following the kicker.


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## aphoeniceus (Nov 4, 2017)

First post . New rider, new bike. First ride on the new bike. Just went on some dirt trails in SoCal. I went from a 2003 Trek 4300 to a 2017 Diamondback Sync’r Pro. Trail was pretty wide but all uphill!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

aphoeniceus said:


> First post . New rider, new bike. First ride on the new bike. Just went on some dirt trails in SoCal. I went from a 2003 Trek 4300 to a 2017 Diamondback Sync'r Pro. Trail was pretty wide but all uphill!


Welcome. Congrats on the new ride.


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Found this classic after the gym this morning. It's a Gary Fisher. Does anybody knows the year and model? I'm curious.

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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ just a wild guess ... comparing similar looking bikes on eBay/PinkBike...vintage mid '90's Paragon? approx worth >$200


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

"Stick season" riding in VT has been fierce for a couple weeks. Sadly it's now raining, so I'm forced to sit in front of the computer and reminisce until the trails freeze up again.








My new-ish steed, the Banshee Spitfire. Bought it in July and have ridden it maybe five times... which tells you everything you need to know about my new job 








My old warhorse, the Canfield Yelli Screamy, equipped with a new-to-me fork, shod with Cushcore-dampended Ice Spikers and ready for nuclear winter.








On ice, frozen slush, or fresh powder up to about 4", these things are an absolute riot. Any deeper snow than that and I go skiing anyway. 

Back in October, the boyfriend and I went to Flagstaff and I rented this rad beast:







The noble Pique! I've always had reservations about women's specific bikes but this thing was well spec'd and riotously fun. It is flickable, jumpable, playful, climbs well, and generally made me feel like a ninja.








The trails on Mt Elden were as un-Vermonty as you can get--dry, loose, rocky, steep, and with epic views. The boyfriend and I climbed 2400 feet on this ride, I went back the next day and did 2900...without going on the same trail twice. MTB Mecca! (Sorry this is sideways, I minored in computer science and have no clue how to fix it XD )


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

This helmet saved my life yesterday. Skidded out after landing a jump. No broken bones, no concussion. Sore as anything. Here's hoping the muscle pain goes away soon. Ow.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Stripes, glad you are OK, hope the soreness gets better soon. I can't see the helmet pic for some reason.

Ryetoast, nice pix and bikes, looks like you are ready! Cushcore is the fork, I take it? I run the Ice Spikers also, switched to the skinnier ones (2.1) because the 2.3 rubbed on the chainstays when going uphill on my old Litespeed Unicoi my winter commuter.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Long time, no see, ryetoast! Great pics - love riding in a dusting of snow . Congrats on the new ride. The skiers on here are gonna hate me, but I'm so hoping for a mild winter...


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

A moment os silence here. A month ago a fire blaze ran through these hills. The fires in Santa Rosa destroyed 3000 homes and 33% of our park. I found a rider in a new Santa Cruz Nomad, he asked for my air pump. Nice bike I said and he replied, "lost my house to the fire, this is what is left".

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

A rough ride last Sunday - only 2 miles, but my dog got caught in a leghold trap on a side trail off the snowmachine trail. It was minutes after I stopped for the pic. He screamed and flailed and bit at the trap. In the 10 minutes before he was freed, he broke 3 teeth, but his foot, amazingly, is fine. He was able to walk the 2 miles home (I pushed the bike and kept him on leash), but it's wait and see because the teeth are bothering him.


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

mtbxplorer said:


> A rough ride last Sunday - only 2 miles, but my dog got caught in a leghold trap on a side trail off the snowmachine trail. It was minutes after I stopped for the pic. He screamed and flailed and bit at the trap. In the 10 minutes before he was freed, he broke 3 teeth, but his foot, amazingly, is fine. He was able to walk the 2 miles home (I pushed the bike and kept him on leash), but it's wait and see because the teeth are bothering him.


Holy ****, that is horrifying! Does your state have laws against setting traps where domestic animals can get caught in them? I would be billing the trap owner for the medical costs 

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ No, I believe he was trapping legally on his own property. We were on unposted trails through his maple sugaring saplines, but apparently they go through his traplines too. He also helped me free the dog, I got it a little open but not enough, so I have to be somewhat thankful. We won't go back though, needless to say.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^ No, I believe he was trapping legally on his own property. We were on unposted trails through his maple sugaring saplines, but apparently they go through his traplines too. He also helped me free the dog, I got it a little open but not enough, so I have to be somewhat thankful. We won't go back though, needless to say.


Oh man that is so scary. I'm so sorry


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Brave little pupper! Love your pic! Holy moly you got quite a snow dumping!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Thanks all! We got another foot of snow since the pic, so I have to get it packed down by snowshoeing before I can ride out the back door again! The area fatbike trail systems are starting to groom though.


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

No riding for now. Here in Puerto Rico in a humanitarian mission bringing solar lights and water filters.

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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

16 weeks post total ACL reconstruction. I've been released to workout at the gym and do a little bit of running. I can jump some - no more than 70 jumprope at a time, 3x a week. PT is going well but he's brutal. I'm on an "active adult" rehab plan, not "sedentary office worker" plan.


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

I rode this today. 

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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

formica said:


> 16 weeks post total ACL reconstruction. I've been released to workout at the gym and do a little bit of running. I can jump some - no more than 70 jumprope at a time, 3x a week. PT is going well but he's brutal. I'm on an "active adult" rehab plan, not "sedentary office worker" plan.
> 
> View attachment 1173619


Good work formica! You are making excellent progress. When do you think you will be ready for riding?


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> Good work formica! You are making excellent progress. When do you think you will be ready for riding?


Agreed! This is excellent! Love to see you're progressing so fast!

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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

The expecation is I'll be cleared by the end of March.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

formica said:


> The expecation is I'll be cleared by the end of March.


Awesome news! Just in time for spring 😊


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Happy New Year!!!

It's been brutally cold (for us anyway) in the northeast for over a week, and it looks like it will continue through next weekend. Despite the cold and holiday obligations, I did get out and ride quite a bit. My FS steed is hibernating and the fat bike is now reveling in its preferred climate. Layers have been key as well as wool socks and a warm pair of snow boots to enjoying my time on the trails.







And this wasn't including the wind chill







Believe it or not, I'm not a big fan of the cold. But there is just something about being on a bike, enjoying the quiet beauty around me, that draws me out, in spite of the chill







White ribbon of trail snaking its way through the field







Some mallards participating in their own Polar Plunge







I had the lakeside trail all to myself







I spied this from the shoreline - kind of reminded me of a Christmas ornament







A splash of red against stark background


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Happy New Years everyone!

The extreme cold weather froze the river... making ideal riding conditions during the holiday period. Temps hovered around -10c to -20c (windchill -15c to -27c)


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^^Great shots Petey and Cyclicious! We've been in the deep freeze in VT, not just record lows, but for an extended period. Quite a few days did not get above 0F. Today was a break, but back into a snowstorm, high winds, and then below zero again. It's been all I can do to keep my trails packed by snowshoe and the pipes not frozen.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

I concur with mtbxplorer - great pics cyclelicious! We're supposed to get a couple more inches of snow with the storm blowing up the east coast, but nothing like what they're going to get in Boston. Then it's back to the deep freeze again for a few days. It's funny how warm 23 can feel - isn't it? Especially when there is no wind to go along with it. Stay warm 'xplorer and fingers crossed for your pipes .


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## HTR4EVR (Jun 15, 2007)

Doing experiments with my old 26" hardtail. A rigid 27" fork.

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Silly selfie after a fatbike ride...did laps close to home, a bit gun-shy since that leghold trap incident, and also concerned for the deer if he were to chase one with this hard crust.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

What a weather rollercoaster we've been riding in the Northeast. 61F on Friday followed by rapidly falling temperatures, sleet, freezing rain and then a few inches of snow before temperatures once again plummeting to below zero. I did take the opportunity to get out on Monday, when temperatures climbed into the teens to near 20 for what I jokingly call a "ride". I found out first-hand how difficult it is to break trail, even with fat tires and my low-pressure gauge decided to quit, so I had no idea what I was running in my Surly Nates. Needless to say - I don't like breaking trail, but it did force me to slow down and enjoy the quiet beauty around me.

I encountered a herd of deer that was completely unperturbed by my presence, probably because they were much less encumbered by the snow than I was, lol. A brook that was frozen solid the week before, then freed during the thaw, was once again icing over as I stopped to take some photos. Some dried flowers reminded me that what once bloomed, would again in the spring and even though breaking trail was tiring, I still had a good time out on the bike!


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## mahgnillig (Mar 12, 2004)

I've been working on this little project for a while now. Hubby surprised me with a ski bike kit and a set of snow blades for Christmas. Today was day #3 and I think I finally have it dialed in.

I built this up from my old mountain bike frame. The old fork needed a service and when I took it apart it turned out to be dead. No worries, I thought, and picked up a cheapo coil fork on Craigslist. The second fork was so stiff that it wouldn't budge when sitting on the bike, or even jumping on it. Fork #3 (an old Rockshox air fork) turned out to be the thing I needed... I finally had sag!

Then there were the bars. First off I tried the original bars... no go, they weren't wide enough and were too low. Next I tried some super wide bars with a big stack of spacers underneath. These were also too low, and horrible on the shoulders. BMX bars turned out to be the right thing... lots more control and no shoulder pain.

So here it is, my franken-skibike. So far I've only been riding the fairly mellow slopes. It's easy to carve long, fast, arcing turns, but surprisingly difficult to make short skidded turns. You have to kind of whip the back end of the bike around, but not too far. It's also very easy to get going way too fast (it's super stable at speed) and then you realise that it's not that easy to stop! It's a fun toy though!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Cool! Coincidentally, I saw this on the local news today: A new way to get down the mountain


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Whoa!! You must post some action shots!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

A few laps around the reservoir Sunday. We've had some warm days and some rainy days alternating with cold days, so most of it was clear of snow, even though there is still snow in the woods. I used the 26" commuter with studded tires. Ice is always a bit of a psych out at first before you trust the studs and the ice. It was plenty thick but the top layer was wet and crackly. We went about 5 miles, the dog, who knows!?!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Six months out today from surgery; 8 from the crash. Rehab goes well. I feel fortunate to be working with PT that does "return to sport" rehab, not return to the sofa. I meet with the surgeon in two weeks to assess. I don't know if I get cleared at 6 months or 9---I'm a little confused on this. You can follow the rehab on instagram @geargrrl lot of fun videos... first pedal on the stationary bike.... first box jump... things like that.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Lots of hard work, way to keep the eyes on the prize Formica!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Our snow has melted but we're likely due for more snow before spring. It was still fun to ride


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

cyclelicious said:


> Our snow has melted but we're likely due for more snow before spring. It was still fun to ride
> 
> View attachment 1186480
> 
> ...


Yay 'licious!! So jealous - wish our snow would melt. Could be worse - could be closer to the coast and buried right now. I'm itching to ride my FS bike - my rigid fatty is kinda harsh, lol. Out of curiosity, how wide are your bars? If I recall, you're smaller in stature. I got a new pair of bars for my bike late last fall and didn't cut them down initially just to see how it felt - they were 787mm. They just felt ridiculous. I trimmed them down to 760, which was the length the original bars were. I know you ride downhill, too, so wondered if you had a preference.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Hi Petey . Most of the snow is gone but temps at night are below 0c and slightly above 0c during the day. The frost hasn't left the ground so trails are dry. I'm going to ride my Canfield (Balance) today. I'm liberated from studded tires until next year 

Re bar width. I've never measured mine but my hubby's are 775mm. Mine are less... so probably around 760.

Happy trails!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Still plenty of snow here in Barre VT. Went for a short 3 mile fatbike ride this morning. The conditions were good and then my dog came within inches of biting a porcupine but stopped and came back just in time. Good boy! I was thankful and decided to end on a good note.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Beginning of the season. Lots of time sessioning all the things. Drops, corners, and dirt jumps. With personal stuff, it's been hard to get any trail time, but at least I have saddle time.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Trails were too wet so we did an urban ride


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^^Nice riding, women of dirt! Still snow on the ground here, trail riding seems so far away. Trail work starts up soon though. We had 40mph gusts yesterday, so I expect a lot of blowdowns.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We got a dumping of snow (along with freezing rain pellets), on the weekend.

I still got out and rode (and ran )


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Yay!! Love that smile, 'licious! Always making any ride experience a positive! We've had lots of blowdowns in Upstate, NY, too and who knows when our local trails will dry out. Luckily there's a trail system I ride frequently that has terrific drainage and I can ride - though bringing a folding saw is a good idea. I am looking forward to green shoots and blossoms and warm weather!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Warmer temps this weekend (got to wear shorts!) but trails aren't ready yet for long rides. We did an urban ride on Saturday and found a small trail section where the ground is still frozen.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Great diversity in the weather Licious! Always great seein' that smile and your posts.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

My smile is no longer because of chattering teeth  Happy riding Grant!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> My smile is no longer because of chattering teeth  Happy riding Grant!


I love your posts. They make me smile. Even when you can't see me smiling like in the pic below.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> My smile is no longer because of chattering teeth  Happy riding Grant!


LOL. I certainly did laugh out loud here in my living room in rainy Waimea, Hawaii.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Some days my wheels don't want to leave the ground, so I'll work on smoothing out my ride. Here I'm working on manualling off a drop.

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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Nice riding stripes! I needed a little more speed for air, so I only rolled it this time

The good news is the frost has finally left the ground


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

*Take a Kid Adventure Biking*

The LBS sponsored a Take a Kid Adventure Biking Day. There were free helmets for the kids, and a 6 or 12 mile ride on this rail trail through the woods. I was unable to borrow a kid but went to help out.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

I hesitated to go on a ride Sunday, but was really glad I did. I told myself, just try it, and you can turn around if it is no fun. I was correct that it turned out to be 8 guys and me that showed up, and while I was not leading the pack I felt I held my own, and made some hills that a few walked (not that I was going much faster, just still on the bike). It was 20 miles of ATV trail, class IV roads, and some gravel roads. We went through Atherton Notch which tells you right there it was hilly. Most opted for their fatbikes, I took the full sus MTB, and one guy did amazing on his monster cross, even in the muddy parts of the ATV trail. I was glad for the suspension on the rough downhills, and to save 4 lbs over my fatbike on the uphills.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ sweet pics mtbxplorer!

I 've been mixing it up with riding, running and lifting (crossfit)


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

I continue to love this thread!! You guys ROCK!! Aloha from rainy, "voggy" Hawaii.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

gmats said:


> I continue to love this thread!! You gals ROCK!! Aloha from rainy, "voggy" Hawaii.


fify


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

In addition to building and maintaining trail, our volunteer trail crew also leads weekly no-drop group rides. I led one last night and promised a beginner-friendly route. The route I chose got good reviews and 4 women showed up, which may be a record for these rides - last week I was the only one. In addition to making it fun for the less experienced, I also tried to show off some of the unique aspects of the trail system, like this lookout, and the granite quarries with big cliffs. I took the pic so I'm not in it:


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Fun rides on the weekend. Rode the local trails on Saturday.









Did an Sunday evening urban ride because of the heavy rain earlier in the morning and afternoon... leaving the trails too soft and the bugs were bad


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Long weekend... lot's of riding (as well as running and swimming  )

























Milkweed and milksnake


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Awesome pics, cyclelicious! I have been slackin' lately with posts. Just got back last week after an awesome long weekend at NEMBAfest at Kingdom Trails, VT. It was my third time at KT (wish I lived a lot closer!) and the first time for three of my friends. We all had a great time and I enjoyed seeing how much I progressed from my first visit and comfort level with the trails. I wish I had a picture of me descending Sidewinder - what a rush!
NEMBAfest Expo







Heaven's Bench







Cathedral on top of Old Web's Trail







Pond on White School Trails







Gathering at the top of Moose Alley







Moose Alley got interesting right at the start


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

petey15 said:


> Awesome pics, cyclelicious! I have been slackin' lately with posts. Just got back last week after an awesome long weekend at NEMBAfest at Kingdom Trails, VT. It was my third time at KT (wish I lived a lot closer!) and the first time for three of my friends. We all had a great time and I enjoyed seeing how much I progressed from my first visit and comfort level with the trails. I wish I had a picture of me descending Sidewinder - what a rush!
> NEMBAfest Expo
> View attachment 1206501
> 
> ...


Niiiice, looks like a great time! I really should go to that next year, I'm only an hour away...


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Cool trip and pix petey! I have not been there for a while but always maintain a year-round membership ! Ryetoast, consider the Millstone Wednesday night rides!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

A rough ride yesterday, I was on a group ride on pavement, gravel, and trail, and at mile 2 a boxer dog ran out into the road from the other side when he saw us. I yelled at him but he kept coming, and the pickup truck coming the other way kept coming and I knew he was going to get hit. Riding sweep I saw the whole thing. The owner was understandably hysterical and could not approach the dog, so I went to him and petted him and talked to him as he passed, and asked her to get a blanket so we could get him out of the road. I think that helped her a tiny bit to be able to do something. There was a lot of blood and fluid coming from his mouth but he did not seem in terrible pain. Another rider helped me move him with the blanket, by this time he was gone. I tried to say a few comforting words to the owner and asked the dog's name, Liem. She said her husband was coming home in 2 minutes, and when he did he drove in like a crazy man, not even using the driveway, he went right over the lawn and nearly hit the dog. If we had still been moving him we might have gotten hit. We left then, and continued the ride with heavy hearts. The leaders happened to stop later at a graveyard and I said a few choked words for Liem. R.I.P.


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Lovely sound..






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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

@mtbxplorer - Oh, that's terrible! I'm so sorry - what a traumatic experience :'(


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Very sad story mtbxplorer  I think you did everything you could. 

When I used to road cycle there were a few times when a dog from a property would run along side the group... it would make me very nervous for my own safety. (as well as for the dog) I would also feel upset that the dog owner would be irresponsible to let this happen. Currently, the back roads I ride now to the trails and where I run long distances, I notice many of the properties have dogs but all the pet owner have taken responsiblity for their dog's (and other's ) safety. Some of the properties have invisible fences, or tether their dogs, one property has a fenced kennel. A pet can escape, though, nothing is really foolproof. It can happen, and it must have been a shocking experience to witness. As a past dog owner (presently cat owner) I feel sad for the owner.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^^ Thanks for the kind words Petey and cyclelicious, it was very sad. I was glad to be able to give a little comfort to the dog and owner. Three of us went back the next morning with some flowers from one's garden, so that at least they would know we were still thinking of Liem too, and just to be kind. It had been a tough night for them and they had brought him to be cremated. I think he was just a dog being a dog and not 100% predictable, as the woman was right outside with him, he was not left to roam.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^^ Thanks for the kind words Petey and cyclelicious, it was very sad. I was glad to be able to give a little comfort to the dog and owner. Three of us went back the next morning with some flowers from one's garden, so that at least they would know we were still thinking of Liem too, and just to be kind. It had been a tough night for them and they had brought him to be cremated. I think he was just a dog being a dog and not 100% predictable, as the woman was right outside with him, he was not left to roam.


Yes. So sad. And you being there I am sure made such a difference in comfort and healing. Aloha.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

gmats said:


> Yes. So sad. And you being there I am sure made such a difference in comfort and healing. Aloha.


I'm sorry about this experience. I didn't reply to this because this happened a week after we put down our 16 year old dog, and my husband broke his shoulder, then I started a new job.

This post made me really sad, mainly because it brought up memories about me losing my own dog but I can't imagine how it was to be there  Thank you for doing that. RIP.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I remember when I was a kid, I was playing on a street corner with a friend. There was a puppy running around, we didn't know whose it was. A lady turned into the road and she was watching us and completely missed seeing the dog. 

Very nice of you to show such support of the owners.


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Horse fever

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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I had 2 good rides this weekend


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Kids going to a new school. My kids are somewhere un there.

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^^^ Good stuff, love the pix everyone!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

3 day weekend 3 rides 3 mushrooms


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Nice! We had a fun overnight with the LBS. Here's me and "Keeper", but we had a nice variety pack crew of a dozen. That is my 20 year old Litespeed, still a killer machine!


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## kpicha (Dec 20, 2003)

Finally got to ride my new bike today! I went out to the local trails and pedaled around for a few hours getting to know the Spot.

Had a deer dart about 15 feet in front of me that startled the bejeebies out of me since it came out of nowhere, then almost rode over two turtles that were hanging out in front of a log that I was about to ride over. For whatever reason, the pics of the deer right in front of me, won't upload.

I forgot to eat lunch before I left so, I ran out of energy otherwise, I would have stayed a couple of more hours. :-(

The Spot Mayhem exceeded my expectations. I had tested a Niner RIP9 and that bike was very plush and I could feel the bike kind of squirt forward whenever I pedaled hard. The Spot really makes climbing a joy, if you can even believe that. I was expecting it to squirt forward like the Niner so, I was disappointed at first that it didn't. After more time, I started to realize that it does but the acceleration is so smooth that its hardly noticeable. You just motor on and whatever power you put into it, it just goes, and goes, and goes. The front end stays down, even in the granny gear and it'll just motor over and around everything while going up. I actually had fun climbing! 

The fit of the bike is just perfect. Cornering makes you feel like you're in the bike vs on it and standing is very comfortable. I wish I had eaten before b/c I was having so much fun and not winded, I could have stayed a lot longer!! My legs and rear end (new saddle) were what held me back so, I never felt like my energy was wasted. If you have a chance to demo one where you live, definitely give it a try!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Sounds GREAT!! 
Sometimes the photos are too big (too many MB) and need to be resized before they will upload here.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Enjoying the fall weather riding (cooler temps and no bugs!)... a few pics from yesterdays ride


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## kpicha (Dec 20, 2003)

Lucky you. Still bizarrely warm for this time of year here in VA but am glad it finally stopped raining. Pics are great! How slippery were the leaves?


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## miamia (Sep 6, 2014)

My new bike and one of the Muumi figures


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ I like the googly eyes  Is this a common practice? What is a muumi?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Good weather and conditions for riding this weekend


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## miamia (Sep 6, 2014)

Sorry, forgot to translate the name Muumi, it is one of these: https://www.moomin.com/en/
They had done some logging in that area and somebody had created that one from old tree. It was nice a surprise when I saw it first time


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Testing the new KS dropper.

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Leafblowing at Millstone trails in my new trail crew beanie (we have an Angry Gnome trail) last weekend and the first sticking snow on Thursday (Barre VT).


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Suddenly the forum login asked for my former ID and this message came back.










Strait from the MTBR graveyard

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

JDTorr said:


> Suddenly the forum login asked for my former ID and this message came back.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will share with the site admins.


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

mtbxplorer said:


> I will share with the site admins.


Apparently my account was hacked. At this time I have moved on, but thanks for the intentions. No need to go back.

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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weekend ride and run


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Relaxing in Puerto Rico

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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Happy trails everyone.

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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Riding the awesomeness of Colorado. This time on a hardtail for the first time in years.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Great pic and a nice looking trail.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

First ride on the fatbike since last winter, I was glad of the extra traction. "Last ride of the year" before the trail system closes for hunting season.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^ Great pic and a nice looking trail.


Thanks. It looks like there's some rerouting going on because a lot of it is rock and chunk throughout with small stretches of relative smoothness.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I did a 10km race in the morning. And a ride in the afternoon (temperatures rose from -1c to 6c) Fun Funday.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Snow on the ground, early sundown









Switching to the hardtail and studded tires for next weekend's ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Since I posted this ride 2 weeks ago. The weather has been changing: snow melted and the temps have gone up and down. One thing that's consistent is that I've needed to bring along the lights on rides. Still, it's been fun 

one week ago
















Saturday's ride


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^ Great pic and a nice looking trail.


Thanks but there are more fun chunky sections on it 

This time of year I do more trail riding. No lifts running, and I still try to hit the jumps and slope style when I can during the week.

Today rode 16-17 miles at Buffalo Creek. It's amazing how much more you can ride (and better) when you're riding the right size bike.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Still riding, Dec 8, 31 degrees. A fine day with my bike buddy.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Caturday evening ride...









Sunday afternoon ride









We set up the festivus pole


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Played hooky for a few hours before work, first tracks at Millstone after a few inches of fresh snow and before the forecast rain.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

*Fatbikejoring!*

Want to make biking on snow more exciting? Add a dog!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Rode in snow for the first time ever.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Well done Stripes! Beautiful scenery and bluebird day too! Is a fatbike in your future?


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

mtbxplorer said:


> ^^Well done Stripes! Beautiful scenery and bluebird day too! Is a fatbike in your future?


Thanks! Yep it was quite the experience  It was really hard to ride in some places. I think I need less psi in the rear. I was running between 10-12 in the front and a little more than that in the rear.

So I built this plus hardtail for winter riding, and I'm trying out snow riding. So I have 3.0 studded wrathchilds on the back. I think I need a 26t on the front though.

I've tried a fat bike in the snow. It felt like a bicycle shaped steam roller  but it's the steering that feels weird to me. I think it depends on how much snow riding in the deeper stuff if I do if I end up with a fat bike.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Beautiful scenery, Stripes. Riding in the winter/snow is different. There are some advantages to riding a fat bike but you can still get by with wider rims. My winter bike is a 26" hard tail with 2.4 rims. I have studded tires because our trails tend to be icy and I also ride river ice or ponds/lakes when they freeze. 

I typically ride 5-10 km to a trail head and I find it smoother and faster on my ht. With the steel bike there is less corrosion due to the road salt.

Our temperatures are probably colder so the less components on the bike ... the less chance of failure (ie no dropper post, or rear suspension). I still get a good workout


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> ^ Beautiful scenery, Stripes. Riding in the winter/snow is different. There are some advantages to riding a fat bike but you can still get by with wider rims. My winter bike is a 26" hard tail with 2.4 rims. I have studded tires because our trails tend to be icy and I also ride river ice or ponds/lakes when they freeze.
> 
> I typically ride 5-10 km to a trail head and I find it smoother and faster on my ht. With the steel bike there is less corrosion due to the road salt.
> 
> Our temperatures are probably colder so the less components on the bike ... the less chance of failure (ie no dropper post, or rear suspension). I still get a good workout


We get a lot of ice so I opted to outfit my pedalhead (plus hardtail) with 3.0 studded tires. We get a lot of ice here in Colorado so that made more sense to me for now.

The front range is fairly warm for a place that gets snow so I'm not worried about component failure. Also, like yours, my hardtail is steel 

Do you find the studs wear out fast if you ride on the asphalt?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

The studs are made of tungsten and have not worn down despite putting on alot of mileage including asphalt riding.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> The studs are made of tungsten and have not worn down despite putting on alot of mileage including asphalt riding.


Are these N45th tires? I can't find out what the studs are made of.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Nokian I've had these for a few years


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

stripes said:


> Are these N45th tires? I can't find out what the studs are made of.


Most of the good ones have carbide tips to last longer. Click the specs button at 45N tires and it tells you the material, which look to be steel/carbide or aluminum/carbide. The carbide tip is the part that grips the ice, the steel or aluminum hold the carbide tip. The aluminum/carbide should be much lighter, I have those on Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pros on the 26" commuter. I have worn them down somewhat on asphalt, with some loss of grip noticeable on off-camber ice, but still fine on flat ice.


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## xcsam (Jan 21, 2019)

Hello everyone! 
This year I am competing in my first XC race and I am so excited!

If you want to watch my journey click below and feel free to subscribe. Thank you! 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-l9QDvtnzT_ShoA8h_wsCA

See you on the trails!

View attachment 1234452
View attachment 1234455


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

A short clip from bikejoring on the fatbike yesterday at Millstone Trails in VT....


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

On Sunday, we did a ride down to the river. Trails were icy (studded tires helped). The recent rise in temperatures caused the ice to break up and cough up big ice chunks onto the banks


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> On Sunday, we did a ride down to the river. Trails were icy (studded tires helped). The recent rise in temperatures caused the ice to break up and cough up big ice chunks onto the banks
> 
> View attachment 1238038
> 
> ...


Love you posts licous! Makes me realize I'm such a whimp out here in Hawaii.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Snow is finally melting  A few recent rides


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Oh wow, you are getting there! I can't even see out of my kitchen window due to the snow (it slides off the roof and piles up), so it feels like forever until trailriding.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Cyclicious: nice to see you're out riding 

After being out for a few months between snow and attempting to snow bike while recovering from a car accident, I was able to get a couple of hours at valmont Sunday.

And I'm finally able to clear the small kicker consistently at the mid point, which is about 6 feet across. Next is the longer part, which is about a 8-10 feet across.

Also, I got quite a bit of height: Russ said I got at least a wheel high, so 27.5"+ inches


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

^ Great shot!


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## JDTorr (Jul 26, 2018)

Forest cleanup in Angwin Ca. It's our fire prevention project.

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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Well done Stripes! Sorry to hear about the car crash.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Gettin' some gravel with friends. The trails typically are closed until around Memorial Day. This was an hour north but less snow than at home due to being in the "banana belt" near Lake Champlain. A really nice 15 mile loop, even though my friend got a flat (I am in green).


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Our local trails are still too wet and look like pudding. Mixing it up with urban rides and running (plus crossfit training  )


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Some Rake AND Ride today,at Millstone Trails...
About 3 hours raking/lopping/sawing/rerouting drainage, followed by an hour or so riding. Not everything is open yet, but the stuff that is open was in good shape!


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## Gray-Sama (Jun 6, 2019)

Hi! All the places you went to are great. We would love to go to these places as well! Visit and maybe try some activities like cycling and running. Thanks for this!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

It's been hot and humid but still riding. A few pics from a variety of most recent rides


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A pics of rides (and run) on the weekend
Going down a ravine (Saturday)









Running a flat section (Sunday)








Climbing up (Sunday)


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Third ride on a new bike


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

2 weeks ago while on vacation on Vancouver Island, we rented bikes in Victoria and did a 5 hour ride. Rode the mup to Mt Douglas (7% grade steeeeep) and to the top (without a break!) for spectacular views; then around the coast to the downtown harbour. Stopped at Finnerty Garden at university of Victoria, watched the draw bridge, spotted some unusual bikes, spotted harbour home boat.

















































Victoria has an awesome network of bike lanes and Chris was able to piece together a long and picturesque ride as well as tying in big sections of the Tour de Victoria which is taking place today.

























We did a 52km loop on our rental hybid bikes  A portion of the ride was 1/3 of the Tour de Victoria century ride

Early in the century race, the top 3 riders in the Tour de Victoria (police motorcade just ahead). They were coming in fast! 2297 more cyclists to follow


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^Looks great, thanks for sharing!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Bikecommute home pissed me off , my FB post summed it up:
WANTED: Large black truck rolling coal on Berlin St. Montpelier VT tonight as I biked uphill.
Other distinguishing features: REALLY SMALL D*CK AND LESS BRAINS.
PM me any info. Not the actual truck but you get the idea....
(I don't know how to make GIFs work herre, sorry)
https://images.app.goo.gl/XsWS1FVua88HnfoB8


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A few rides this week. Summer is slowly fading, fall is ramping up. Weeds are dying back but the mosquitoes are still biting!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We are experiencing warm/humid temps this week. I did a few rides, a charity run for cancer research and said goodbye summer and welcomed fall


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## Veedubster (Aug 17, 2019)

Glad you enjoyed my beautiful home town!


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Fall riding in Fruita.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Get gets dark so early... trying to squeeze in some saddle time


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Getting ready for the holiday parade with the LBS peeps. Parade pace is a little chilly with temps in the teens F. Lots of kids braved the weather to see Santa and the cement truck 100% covered with lights.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^cool idea mtbxplorer! Have fun and spread positive bike vibes!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

On Sunday I joined the Millstone winter trail crew (which grooms trail for fatbiking and skiing) and learned to split stone. The grooming sled snowmachine and the drag had problems last winter catching on this rock and then getting stuck on the corner. So we got rid of part of the rock, probably 300+ pounds. I was amazed at what you could do with the little feathers and wedges, which are only a few inches long. We drilled holes in the rock (using a battery powered hammer drill), placed the feathers and wedges in the holes, and then you tap each set in turn until a crack develops and part of the granite splits off.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Caturday /winter solstice ride... thank goodness the days start to get longer


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

First day of winter ride


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Two guys I rode with holding up the forest. Millstone Trails, Barre Town Forest 
VT


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Had the LBS sendout the shox & dropper for service, beating the spring rush! Full sus bikes are so expensive I want to keep mine working well and feeling new as long as I can. Plus/minus $500 well spent. Consider it - don't ride your bike into the ground if you can't afford a new one.

Also, just back from riding in Puerto Rico with the peeps from the shop and bike adventure club. Very affordable flights (only $30 for the bike), air b&b (especially with a group), and food - highly recommended! If you want to do some hill training, you will not be disappointed! Mostly road riding on gravel bike, but we did some MTB trails too.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm still riding every weekend ... but I still can't wait for this snow to melt


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

It's been Spring in the South West for a while now, a good time to take bike trip & ride the California coast/desert or AZ desert.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A few recent rides and runs... spring is slowly creeping in


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Nice, always like seeing happy gals outdoors.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Parks and popular spots are being shut down because riders aren't respecting social distancing norms

We ride in an unpopular area so we have the forest to ourselves. I'm able to do 2 good rides on the weekend. I also run so I'm getting plenty of cardio exercise


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Is that the Jones H bar?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^ Yes that's my hubby's Jones


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A few recent rides. Some weekends are springlike and some weekends winter returns


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Hope everyone is out riding


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

I am but it also realized I need a better front tire & a better seat. I was suppose to have a social distancing riding first date on the trails with a cutie & her dogs, but they had to cancel. So, I will probably get a new seat tomorrow & do the trail closest to me.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I wish I had more time to ride but I get out twice a week for sh*ts & giggles


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Late evening ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

My new whip project has arrived. 2020 Canfield Nimble 9 steel all mountain & DVO fork. I've gone back to hardtail.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Last weekend. Planning more ride adventures this weekend


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Just saw the hardtail party video of the Nimble 9, it looks light & fun.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Looks like a fun ride and bike!


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Over Labor Day we went camping and biking, with a 30 mile adventure ride on Sunday. Here I am crossing the beaver dam.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A few weekend ride (and run) pics. Fall is in full swing


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Still warm early into fall, not getting as many DH runs as I'd like this year, but we all know how 2020 has been. At least we have bikes.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A recent night ride


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ Nice photo!

First ride on the new Fatback Corvus back on 11/3 with "Keeper".


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weekend rides Not much snow but it was cold (-8c)


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Today's ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Christmas evening means: time for a local ride! Streetlights shining, wall rides and baby Jesus returned to the manger... as the snow adds another blanket


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Local night ride









And morning run


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## Guinevere (Jul 28, 2020)

I shook hands with a cactus, but at least I got to see some cute coyotes~ <3


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Guinevere said:


> View attachment 1910985
> 
> 
> I shook hands with a cactus, but at least I got to see some cute coyotes~ <3


ouch! A few years ago I saw a rider ahead of me ride right into a huge patch of sting weed aka nettles. He struggled to get himself out of the bush and not surprising everyone in his group were hesitant to help. Nettles sting for at least a day.

Hope you "made it"


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## Guinevere (Jul 28, 2020)

The gloves saved my hand, but I'll need to grab a new pair... It'll be impossible to get all those needles out.

Today I'm gonna do some machete maintenance on a pair of egregious cacti and taste a little vengeance.


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## Guinevere (Jul 28, 2020)

I finally retaliated against the cholla menace!

Putting my Exotic Weapon Proficiency to good use~


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

Right on with the work! Also women & knives 🎉


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weekend ride

Mild temps for January (it won't last long)


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Saturday's ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A little [shore] ice and a little snow [trails] for caturday's ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Caturday ice biking ride on the river. We rode 18km at -17c


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

50 Inspiring Quotes to Help You Power Through Any Workout


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

The sunshine was a spring teaser... it was colder than it looked! Windchill -6c. We did a ride along the Humber River Valley. Trails were hard packed and icy so the studded tires worked their magic. It was a gorgeous day and looking forward to warmer temps


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## Guinevere (Jul 28, 2020)

Had a blast riding tech trails through the snow!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Weekend ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I haven't been able to ride for the past few weeks so I've been doing run ride pairings with my husband. My patience has paid off. My bike build is done. My new classic steel hard tail whip is completed. Back in the saddle and ready for a weekend rip! I'm doing a shakedown ride today


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Caturday shakedown ride and break in the new HT build. I am very impressed


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

From my caturday ride


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## MTBkitty (Feb 3, 2011)

A "thing" happened with my teenager 





I am a proud and happy mama. Been waiting for seeing that for a very long time! We tried to get her up on two wheels from age 4 until age 9. Confidence and vision issues seem to have been what held her back. Yesterday though (now 16), she took off like a Boss Babe! I was still needing to hold the handlebars _*very*_ briefly just till the pedals went round a couple times, then it was off to the races! So to speak, but she's a bit of an adrenaline junkie so I won't be shocked if she does race me some day. When I find a way to get the seat lowered 1-2 inches she will be able to scoot off, mount the pedals and be 100% on her own! 🤩


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Six months into weight training, my confidence is definitely soaring. Been in Colorado 5 years now, and have some great riding buddies who help me unlock new features on my favorite local rides.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

^awesome action shot stripes


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I did a late day ride on caturday to unwind the legs


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

This is so hilarious!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

After Chris' Enduro motorcycle ride and my 20km run, we did pedally urban ride. We checked out the 'hood and a few parks along the way.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Fridays I've been cutting out early to ride in the trees. As much as i love riding Erie singletrack, forested riding is where I'm home. I have found out my eyes don't like the darkness and have a hard time focusing, so I've gotten lighter lenses for riding in the trees. Hopefully that will help me with my confidence rolling down these and insteas hop them.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

stripes said:


> Fridays I've been cutting out early to ride in the trees. As much as i love riding Erie singletrack, forested riding is where I'm home. I have found out my eyes don't like the darkness and have a hard time focusing, so I've gotten lighter lenses for riding in the trees. Hopefully that will help me with my confidence rolling down these and insteas hop them.


Awesome pic Stripes!
I remove my sun glasses or I wear clear lenses when I'm riding trails in the forest.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

cyclelicious said:


> Awesome pic Stripes!
> I remove my sun glasses or I wear clear lenses when I'm riding trails in the forest.


Thanks  Do you find it's a getting older thing about your eyes, or just something that we should do in general?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

stripes said:


> Thanks  Do you find it's a getting older thing about your eyes, or just something that we should do in general?


I think it could be with age (speaking for myself  ) My DH goggles were clear lenses and I wasn't affected by sun in my eyes. My vision was and is sharper without sunglasses


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We did a July 1 (Canada Day ride)


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

Jump session yesterday morning to check new suspension tune before today's ride that didn't happen (sick dog). You can't tell how high i am because the grasses are so tall.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We did a chill ride in Orangeville on this overcast caturday. Explored some local trails. Found some stoner shacks, old dirt bike trails, cornholio fields and an ol' jack o'lantern.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

23 days until spring


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## Guinevere (Jul 28, 2020)

Today I changed my tires myself for the first time! 😻 

I learned how to adjust the derailleur too~


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## Guinevere (Jul 28, 2020)

Had my first XC race of the season, down in Silver City, NM! A 10hr team relay with 3 of my gal pals. Rode my hardtail.

The course was really fast and fun. I enjoyed running past a bunch of gruff old men in the Le Mans start, hehe~


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

mountain biker


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

My birthday ride was lovely


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Today's ride


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

First DH ride of the season


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

We did a Canada Day ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A fun way to unwind after an active day!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Last evening's sunset ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

On part of our evening ride we rode bumpy old traintracks. You can see the old telegraph posts in the background


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Returning from a late day trail ride, I found Penny Lane!


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

cyclelicious said:


> View attachment 1990951
> 
> 
> A fun way to unwind after an active day!


Nice photo. I don't crash the Women's Lounge often but your latest photo addition popped it up within the "what's new" feed so I clicked through.
Anyway it's 37°F and raining here in early December so it's nice to look back at last summer's rides and recall how nice it is to ride bikes when it's warm, dry & sunny.
Thanks for that!
=sParty


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Thank you sParty! It's cold and windy here. The snow melted but the ground is frozen. Helmet with visor... for decoration 

View attachment 2012352


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Night ride


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

set your goals for 2023


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)




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## H2oChick (Dec 14, 2006)

New Years Eve before the rain and snow arrived. Now waiting for things to dry out -(Prescott AZ)


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