OT - Mountain Biking

Cornholio

Luckily the fires here in So Cal are north of us but the air is still not great down here in OC.  Rode down by Laguna Beach this morning for a nice 15 miles and 1500 feet of climbing.  Didn’t see any rattlers but saw a ton of cougars. 

DuckDogDr

@xfire_ATX what program is that keeping track of your info/stats

Ozzie_Isaac

I used to race, now my son does.  Love getting to watch him race and camp with the team ...

SciAggie

Do any of y’all have any experience with gravel bikes? What’s your opinion as a go between a mountain bike and road bike? I know a couple of folks here at home that like them because they are smoother on chip seal pavement. They also allow riding on caliche roads and non-technical single track. 

Cornholio

SciAggie said:

Do any of y’all have any experience with gravel bikes? What’s your opinion as a go between a mountain bike and road bike? I know a couple of folks here at home that like them because they are smoother on chip seal pavement. They also allow riding on caliche roads and non-technical single track. 

Not personally but I know a lot of guys who have them here in So Cal and I see a ton of them out on the trails these days.  Not sure your budget but I know that if you go with 650b size wheels rather than 700c you can get wider tires with more volume for more off road compliance.  The diameter ends up being about the same since there is more rubber on the bigger tires.  Lots of awesome choices out there, Niner, Ibis, Kona and all the big brands make gravel bikes these days.  

RiverBBQ

I’ve had a dual suspension giant for close to 15 years. Great ride, my son rides it more than I do now. It was to replace my motocross days. Nowhere near the same. Hurts way too much now for either.....ugh.

frazzdaddy

SciAggie said:

Do any of y’all have any experience with gravel bikes? What’s your opinion as a go between a mountain bike and road bike? I know a couple of folks here at home that like them because they are smoother on chip seal pavement. They also allow riding on caliche roads and non-technical single track. 

I've built three. They are great for greenways and gravel roads.

SciAggie

frazzdaddy said:

SciAggie said:

Do any of y’all have any experience with gravel bikes? What’s your opinion as a go between a mountain bike and road bike? I know a couple of folks here at home that like them because they are smoother on chip seal pavement. They also allow riding on caliche roads and non-technical single track. 

I've built three. They are great for greenways and gravel roads.

Since the rule is we always need n+1 bikes, I’ll probably get one come spring...

xfire_ATX

DuckDogDr said:

@xfire_ATX what program is that keeping track of your info/stats

@DuckDogDr- I use the native Garmin Program- connect.garmin.com, which also feeds into Strava.  I'm on my 4th Garmin Biking product (Edge) and they do a great job of keeping track.  Just got a 520 which syncs via Bluetooth to my phone, then to web which keeps me from having to plug it in all the time.

xfire_ATX

SciAggie said:

Do any of y’all have any experience with gravel bikes? What’s your opinion as a go between a mountain bike and road bike? I know a couple of folks here at home that like them because they are smoother on chip seal pavement. They also allow riding on caliche roads and non-technical single track. 

I've run a few Gravel Races but I've done them on my 29er SS.  Lots of my friends have one I am considering dumping the road bike for one- really for the wider tires and disc brakes then for riding on gravel.

SciAggie

xfire_ATX said:

I've run a few Gravel Races but I've done them on my 29er SS.  Lots of my friends have one I am considering dumping the road bike for one- really for the wider tires and disc brakes then for riding on gravel.

That’s where I am - we have great rural roads with little traffic. I’m just wondering as an alternative to a road bike if I’ll get a more plush ride (lots of chip seal) with most of the benefits of a road bike. Also, we have a ton of caliche county roads - it would open up even more riding options. 

CPARKTX

I’m totally hooked on mountain biking. Also just got hand out of cast due to mishap in Park City. 

Cornholio

Hit up a newer bike park near us yesterday, ended up getting a season pass it was so much fun.  Very well maintained trails with lots of wood and dirt features, everything from green circles to double black diamond trails.


SkyPark at Santa’s Village 

frazzdaddy

Your threads make me wish for younger days. Built one of these in full XTR back in the day. 23.4lb with pedals.

Cornholio

frazzdaddy said:

Your threads make me wish for younger days. Built one of these in full XTR back in the day. 23.4lb with pedals.

The old Trek Y frames, classic!  I’ve been riding since ~1990 off and on but obsessed the past 5 years.  Luckily I’m only 37 and have lots of riding left in me.

milesvdustin

I need you get my fox fork rebuilt this winter so I can ride this spring. Any good companies? 

frazzdaddy

Cornholio said:

frazzdaddy said:

Your threads make me wish for younger days. Built one of these in full XTR back in the day. 23.4lb with pedals.

The old Trek Y frames, classic!  I’ve been riding since ~1990 off and on but obsessed the past 5 years.  Luckily I’m only 37 and have lots of riding left in me.

Got ya by 20. I loved that bike. I had the lock out for the rear shock and Ti wheels and spokes, so acceleration was not bad for an old school bouncer. I hurt guys on the downhills. 

Cornholio

milesvdustin said:

I need you get my fox fork rebuilt this winter so I can ride this spring. Any good companies? 

Dirtlabs and Push Industries have solid reputations.  You just send it in and they send it back, I’ve heard more about Push than DL.  If you call them they’ll walk you through it.  

mlc2013

@milesvdustin just send it back to Fox I send my fork and Shock back every thousand miles for tuneup right to them they charge around $140 each

milesvdustin

It needs seals, I blew that thing apart 

mlc2013

Most of the guys I ride with whether it be a complete rebuild or troubleshoot or service send it right back to the manufacturer at least you know the job is done right with the right parts although there are plenty of aftermarket companies that do great work as well and are probably a little cheaper

xfire_ATX

milesvdustin said:

I need you get my fox fork rebuilt this winter so I can ride this spring. Any good companies? 

The guy who works on my bike went to Fox and got certified so he does mine.

RiverRatSkier

milesvdustin said:

I need you get my fox fork rebuilt this winter so I can ride this spring. Any good companies? 

Shockspital.
http://www.shockspital.com/

Cornholio

My bike is joining me to work tomorrow for some chunky goodness in Laguna Beach.  

Anyone else have riding plans to finish the year?

YukonRon

Highest elevation anyone has biked?

Cornholio

YukonRon said:

Highest elevation anyone has biked?

I’ve ridden at 11k but that was at Mammoth so I wasn’t doing sustained climbs up there, just dropped down from the top (still a chore on the lungs and even the lower trails are 9k+ up).  

For non lift service riding I’ve done stuff up in the Sierras over 9k and sustained climbs hurt a bit.  There’s a lot higher elevation riding out there so I’m not nearly up there with what others have done. 

YukonRon

My Beautiful Wife and I are summit baggers,
As flat landers,11,500+ seems to be where we start our edge of  pain. We have done several 14ers, and some of those trails in Colorado would lend themselves well for Mountain Biking.

Denali was my vertical limit. Due to age and physical condition, it is doubtful I (we)  will do too many more climbs (technical) 15000+ fasl the rest of my life.

When I had my leg, foot and ankle rebuilt several years ago, my surgeon told me my mountaineering days were done, and my sporting activities should include horseback riding, and biking.

Since that day, of the conference with my surgeon, the summits have continued, with climbs and hikes. We added several to our completed list, and remain hopeful for the opportunity to summit Kilimanjaro.

Thinking mountain biking might scratch that itch.

We will see.
14282 feet. Checking everyone's gear prior to descending to 8650 feet. 

Cornholio

YukonRon said:

My Beautiful Wife and I are summit baggers,
As flat landers,11,500+ seems to be where we start our edge of  pain. We have done several 14ers, and some of those trails in Colorado would lend themselves well for Mountain Biking.

Denali was my vertical limit. Due to age and physical condition, it is doubtful I (we)  will do too many more climbs (technical) 15000+ fasl the rest of my life.

When I had my leg, foot and ankle rebuilt several years ago, my surgeon told me my mountaineering days were done, and my sporting activities should include horseback riding, and biking.

Since that day, of the conference with my surgeon, the summits have continued, with climbs and hikes. We added several to our completed list, and remain hopeful for the opportunity to summit Kilimanjaro.

Thinking mountain biking might scratch that itch.

We will see.
14282 feet. Checking everyone's gear prior to descending to 8650 feet. 

Nice!  Highest I’ve climbed is Whitney.  

Colorado has some high trails for mountain bikes as do the Alps and Himalayas.  I have riding friends who have ridden up White Mountain which is across the valley from the Eastern Sierras near Mammoth, it gets up over 14k.

Most high altitude trails just aren’t good for it though, Whitney for example would be more hike a bike than riding so the bike becomes an anchor (plus it’s illegal but using it as reference).  

YukonRon

Thinking Mt Huron would be a great up and down on a bike. Perhaps the most beautiful 14er trail in Colorado.
We are heading back out at the end of May, to catch the Stones in Denver, then My Beautiful Wife and I, depending on how I (if she let's me) feel, will do a Hike up and Snowboard down one of the 14ers, if there is enough snow left to do so, on the northern faces.

Cornholio

Good for you, Ron!  The great thing about cycling is that it is low impact so a lot of people with injuries from other sports turn to riding to keep them going outdoors.

Here’s a link to something I found regarding riding 14ers in CO, only a handful of legal areas up that high.  

https://www.adventuresportsnetwork.com/sport/bike/want-bike-14er-dont-stupid/

I went to college in Boston and used to hike/climb/snowboard in the White Mountains in NH and while the altitude is weak the weather is harsh.  Mt. Washington is only 6k but has/had the fastest recorded land wind speed at 231mph.  We would hike in with our daypack and snowboards strapped to our camp packs and would stay at the Harvard cabin then head deeper into the mountains from there and back to the cabin to sleep.  Riding back to the car with our 60lb packs was much better than the hike in.


Below Tuckermans Ravine 2005 (wind was so bad you can see I was holding my flapping board for the picture)