Share your rides during the summer

[Consuela]

Last night we rode anyway!

That's a bummer Connie. Hope the fires die down soon.

Thanks, me too! Good news though! One of the guys decided to lead the group ride anyway (rebel) and rescheduled it. (All group rides are officially cancelled for this weekend though due to smoke.)

There were 8 of us in the core group and an addition group of 4 racer-types that we regrouped with at the Punch Bowl. I would say it was a "great" ride and we had a blast. Ironically, the core group had more falls w/ blood than I could keep track off.

Good stuff: I am officially no longer an Arastradero Punch Bowl virgin! I rode it twice last night in the same direction as the video above, which is said to be the "easy" direction. ABC, I used the big-chainring-pedal-like-mad-on-flat technique. Coming back the other way is said to be more difficult. So, I just tried the one direction and stopped while I was ahead. DH added the reverse direction into his bag of tricks! I promised to attempt that next week.

Bad stuff:

Once at the Little Bowl/terrain park, we were having fun and I was about to dig out my camera to capture DH's table top bunny hop. I had a fun angle planned, hoping to make it look like "big air". hehe But before I could unzip my bag to get camera out, a gal was attempting the table top and stalled out at the top of the lip. This table top is short (~12-15 feet tall), but much steeper than the bowl. Basically, imaging a single track half pipe made of dirt, so it's pretty much vertical the last foot. She tumbled a bit and then slid all the way down tangled up with her bike, ripping open her elbows and splitting one of her shins. Decided my time would be better spent as medic, than photographer. So, no pics again. :p

A newbie teenage boy in the group was riding a borrowed bike that was too big for him and could hardly touch the pedals. He couldn't put the seat any lower due to the placement of the rear shock. Sadly, he flipped over his handle bars twice during the ride and had another fall in the Punch Bowl. He was quite a scraped up, dirty mess by the end. He must have had 1/4 tube of polysporin on him by the end of the ride.

So, that was our trip! Great and gashing (for some).

PS. DH got his bike back from the shop and front derailer seems to be better so far.

 

[Consuela]

Kirkwood I

We headed up to Kirkwood with some friends for a little get away weekend! The lift service isn't open yet, so we were our own lift service! yee ha!

Here I am at the mound were we would have gotten off of Lift 1 (aka Snowkirk), if it had been open.

Many of the trails were not packed down. The first one we started riding up was like trying to ride in a freshly plowed field on the side of a mountain. Or, at least, how I would imagine that would be.


Edit: Dang, I can't seem to get my photo to display from Flickr, so had to attach it.

 

[abc]

ABC, yeah, the video looks a little pathetic. So, the guys that were attempting it "without pedaling" do cheat a little to get past the whole physics issue. They start half way up the hill between the Bowl and the terrain park (aka Little Bowl) and allow themselves to pedal until the official "top" of the drop into the bowl.

I would say it's still pretty impressive to make it without pedaling, even with the speed start. One need to pedal REAL hard to get as much speed as possible. That's where I draw the line. Pure speed is not my thing.

Do you like the little bowl? I've been having a blast there the last few weeks.

I did like it when I live only 10 min. away! ;-)

I moved shortly afterward, a little north. My new favorate then was Waterdog park, for after work quick workout (wicked technical too). And for weekend days, Skeggs Point wasn't too far away, although I admit that's quite intense.

Boy, I miss Bay Area... :(

 

[SnowHot]

When I see pics of other diva rides, I realize how different the terrain and soil conditions are, from what we have.
It would be interesting to ride with you and have you ride with us to experience the different type of riding.

 

[Consuela]

When I see pics of other diva rides, I realize how different the terrain and soil conditions are, from what we have.
It would be interesting to ride with you and have you ride with us to experience the different type of riding.

Yes, I always think the same thing when I see your cute skinny trees in MI. They remind me of the Calvin and Hobbs comic strips, 'cause he had trees/forest like that.

This pic displays a green winter ski run behind me, hence the odd grassy hillside. But, if you look very closely near the horn of my seat, you can vaguely see a very skinny diagonal trail that goes off into the trees to the left. That is one of the two ways down from this lift.

So, there is a green and a blue way down from here, bike wise. (Ski wise, this is all baby green). This area was all pretty nicely packed and easy riding compared to the first black plowed trail we headed up a few dozen yards. We did get pretty winded on the way up since the valley starts around 8,000 feet elevation and we live close to sea level.

There is a second lift up from here that we didn't ride to the top of. It has blue and black bike trails down from that.

 

[volklgirl]

God I lift served riding! Can't wait to get back up to Boyne Highlands to ride!

Here's some pics from last week's Wednesday ride:
Daniel



Donna and SnowHot

Look who's singlespeeding now???

Me on my SS

My favorites from the day

 

[SnowHot]

Wow, Daniel has energy! Did I have that much when I was a teenager?
VG, it was a blast riding with you last Wednesday.
Life if good!
Connie, your rides look like they'd be right up volklgirls alley. She's an animal!!

 

[Consuela]

Dang, Daniel has a very nice bunny hop started there! I love the pics taken through the trees, too. Looks like you are zooming by!

Are those ferns? Does it feel like a little rain forest when you ride through there?

 

[SnowHot]

Dang, Daniel has a very nice bunny hop started there! I love the pics taken through the trees, too. Looks like you are zooming by!

Are those ferns? Does it feel like a little rain forest when you ride through there?

Daniel has no fear! That kid has been fearless since he broke his leg a couple years ago and found out that he can heal from broken bones.
You would love the obstacle park he built in his yard, Skinny, teeter totter, jumps, rock gardens. Not lazy either.
Great kid!
*last winter he built a ski jump off the garage roof

 

[SnowHot]

Pics from Ride Night July 3rd

More pics from the same log pile.
I was thinking I should get by some of the downhills and take shots of VG. She rips down that stuff. Problem is, we're having too much fun saying Whoooo Hooooo, to stop for pics.
The log pile is a great spot to learn some aggression, and kick it up a notch, not to mention a great spot to take pics.

VG's friend

VG

Me, before I went over the handlebars!!!
(Pics of xrays to come later)

VG rippin!!

 

[Consuela]

SnowHot! You can't leave us hanging like that!! Are you okay? Did you break anything?

My trip report to follow... with pics from camera phone.

 

[SnowHot]

SnowHot! You can't leave us hanging like that!! Are you okay? Did you break anything?

Abridged version:
hairline fracture of the ulnar sumthin, possible ligament damage. Black eye, huge bruise and scrape on my right thigh, small bruise on my right knee, and a strawberry mark on my stomach(no idea how that happened).
Gotta tell ya.......... It was a great ride!

 

[Consuela]

Weekly Thursday Ride

Last nights weekly Arastradero ride with pics! ABC, here's a little memory flashback for you!

We got suckered into doing a "loop" just off the parkinglot before heading out. For some reason, I don't like this loop very much. Its only a mile long, but all in the sun with multiple shortish climbs or decents. No flats or graduals. The first climb and decent are the longest of the loop. I think it is the first decent and second climb that I dislike so... there is a big rut that takes up half the trail, so we are left to ride on a little ridge about 4 inches wide that we have to stay up on. It's only a three inch drop off it, but the rut and the terrain on either side are not ridable. Also, there are sections of the ridge that are like riding on a washboard from all the braking.

Parkinglot and beginning of loop. This pic is taken post ride, but same place. Can you find the two horses on the hill the size of a pin heads? They are smack dab in the middle of the pic just below the ridge. They leave us thoughtful "gifts" throughout the ride.

Okay, after that we regathered back at the parking lot and headed out for the switchbacks! Hit all of them except that one that is 2 inches of powder. I just can't pick a line that will allow my bike to turn without sliding out from under me. I will get it one day!

Out of the shady switchbacks, we have a short trek over to the bike park. Amber waves of prickly weeds.. DH is very tiny darker spot in the shadow of the big oak tree. If you can make him out, it gives you an idea how big that tree is.

Just on the other side of this hill and tree is the Little Bowl (aka Bike Park): Here is DH on the table top:

Table top with bunnyhop.. I'm not sure if he is landing or taking off... darn camera phone delay! haha Actually lucky to get him in the shot, as I pressed the button when he was only 1/2 way up the face.

No pics of me or my new tricks. Added two new features this week. I did the most verticle drop off the wall in the Little Bowl for the first time! Sadly, the next new thing will be to ride back up them. Ugh! I think I will start with doing the table top half pipe backwards.

And, last but not least... I did the big bowl backwards last night as promised! I got some great coaching from our leader, Phil, before heading down.

"Okay, put it in your third from highest gear and then there are only three things you need to do to nail this.. 1.Pedal hard on the way down. 2. Pedal hard on the flat. 3. Pedal all the way up. Now go for it!"

I almost didn't make it, but lucky for me one of the racer guys that rides with us (who knows why?) went ahead of me and was there at the top to push me through the last pedal stroke to the top.

Al: Pedal! Come ooon! Push it! You got it!
Me: Grunt! Grunt! Yaarrrghh! Yaarrrgh! Wooohooo!

Yeah, I pretty much sounded like I was giving birth to get that last pedal stroke! hahah I had it in 3-6 to get max speed on the downhill and flat (My highest is 3-8; 24 gears). Next time, I will use one geat lower, 3-5, since my pedal cadence was a little slower than I liked, and I'll take Al's post-advice to stand on my "sprint" across the flat.

 

[Consuela]

Abridged version:
hairline fracture of the ulnar sumthin, possible ligament damage. Black eye, huge bruise and scrape on my right thigh, small bruise on my right knee, and a strawberry mark on my stomach(no idea how that happened).
Gotta tell ya.......... It was a great ride!

Oh my gosh! That was quite an endo! Do you have a cast for you ulnar sumthin?

Edit: So, um... does this mean you don't qualify for a "good day" according to VG's signature? "Same number of bones and all ligments attached"

 

[Robyn]

Reporting my road ride today. Personal best by far! My previous personal best was 17.66 miles. Today I did 40! All but the last 12 felt great, the last twelve were a slight uphill the whole way and it hurt. I did a lot of talking myself through it but I did it and kept a 12mph average over the whole ride on my mountain bike so I'm very happy with it.

 

[SnowHot]

Reporting my road ride today. Personal best by far! My previous personal best was 17.66 miles. Today I did 40! All but the last 12 felt great, the last twelve were a slight uphill the whole way and it hurt. I did a lot of talking myself through it but I did it and kept a 12mph average over the whole ride on my mountain bike so I'm very happy with it.

12 mph avg is Awesome!! I can't imagine that doing 40miles is easy, by any standards, but with that average, wow!

 

[volklgirl]

Holy crap, Robyn! 40 miles on a mountain bike AND 12mph??? Wow. You're just rockin it!

 

[Robyn]

Well, I should mention that when I road ride I'm on slick tires so it is somewhat easier but still a workout. As my very tight muscles are telling me right now. I was being pushed most of the way by the roadies I was riding with but dropped off the back of the group with about 12 miles left to go when I really slowed WAY down. I went to lunch with the leader and two other women when I got back to the store (we ride out of a local bike shop) and our leader was laughing saying that when I get a road bike I'm gonna be a maniac. :D

VG, you've got the obstacle part on me though, I just don't ride with people really so I'm nervous about trying those things when I have have to get myself out of any situation I get into. Sure wish I could join your Wednesday night rides!

 

[Consuela]

Weekly Thursday Ride

It was a bit warm last night, but still ridable! Yea! There were 9 of us total: 7 core riders and 2 racer guys.

I worked on my pedal stroke throughout the ride, as described in the "MTB Skill Clinic - Virtual Style" thread.

New features for me? None. Oh, I almost forgot, I finally nailed that one super powdery switchback on the way up that is my nemisis! I'd like to think I will be able to hit it every time, but I'm not so sure... I suspect it will be hit and miss for awhile, but at least I have a win under my belt.. Hmmm, I wonder what Altagirl's book would say about my thought process?

DH had an exciting ride! He had two new features!

1. He rode the Punch Bowl/Big Bowl easy direction successfully without pedaling! Started up above the normal drop-in, so there was more downhill than uphill.

2. He played Leap Frog with his bike!

Okay, so on the way back, there is this section of trail that is just gross... the dirt is like.. well, hmm... It's hard and crusty and has these deep crevases, like in a glacier, and now its starting to crumble. So, it is to mtb as frozen peas on top of ice is to skiing. And, happily, there are three lovely switchbacks on them. No one rides the very last one, as that is where this crusty sh** meets up with big, thick gravel at a 180 degree turn with no turning radius or embankment to get traction on. Anyway, I come around the corner to the second switchback only to see DH in the air, in front of his bike... some how, he lands on his feet and continues to run/jog down the hillside! Crazy!

He said his tire went right into this hole (crevas maybe?) and stuck there. He was mid-endo when his feet popped out of the pedals and he somehow pushed up on the handles bars to get away from the bike and then next thing he knew he was running down the hill through the amber waves of weeds and big clods of dirt. So, no battle scars, but a good story to tell.

Oh, and between the Big Bowl and the Leap Frog, we got to see a couple of coyotes playing in the amber waves just a few yards away. We hung out and watched them for a good 5+ minutes. Not sure if they were playing, fighting, or mating..

 

[abc]

2. He played Leap Frog with his bike!

Okay, so on the way back, there is this section of trail that is just gross... the dirt is like.. well, hmm... It's hard and crusty and has these deep crevases, like in a glacier, and now its starting to crumble. So, it is to mtb as frozen peas on top of ice is to skiing. And, happily, there are three lovely switchbacks on them. No one rides the very last one, as that is where this crusty sh** meets up with big, thick gravel at a 180 degree turn with no turning radius or embankment to get traction on. Anyway, I come around the corner to the second switchback only to see DH in the air, in front of his bike... some how, he lands on his feet and continues to run/jog down the hillside! Crazy!

He said his tire went right into this hole (crevas maybe?) and stuck there. He was mid-endo when his feet popped out of the pedals and he somehow pushed up on the handles bars to get away from the bike and then next thing he knew he was running down the hill threw the amber waves of weeds and big clods of dirt. So, no battle scars, but a good story to tell.

Over here, we call such move "creative dismounts".

I've had to do quite a few of them myself.