TR: Mt Biking 101

[SnowHot]

A special thanks to volklgirl for planning on a day of riding and exposure to some trails I haven't been on before.

The first trial was moderate and easy to get warmed up. Some gradual up hill and down hill portions but nothing that would overwhelm someone who wasn't aggressive.

Kris took a few minutes to give some tips on log crossing, and sugar sand. I have to say, I'm comfy with sand, though I don't like it, but logs are something I had not done with any confidence. Today I took a few small logs and did it with a smile.
This a pic of the gang coming in from the first leg of the ride:

Between the first leg of the ride and second, she did a "fixing a flat 101" course for those ladies who were unfamiliar with the task.
One of our friends had her 10 year old daughter along, who quickly took charge of the project and did it with ease. Way to go Sarah!!
If a 10 year old can do it, you can too!

(BTW, on the way home, we stopped at Walmart to get her very own kit to fix tires)

The second leg of the ride was more of an intermediate trail with some really cool up hills, down hills, a log crossing and a few mud sections. This part of the ride was definitely a ton of fun! I will be doing this trail again!
Sorry, I didn't get many pics, because I was having too much fun riding!
Hopefully VG will post some of the pics her husband took when we were taking off and coming in.

All in all this was a great day!

 

[volklgirl]

What a great day!

Thanks SnowHot! The pics look fantastic.

Unfortunately, we took pics with our standard camera, so we need to finish the roll and get them developed. It might take a while.:(

However, our first Beginners Mountain Bike Ride and Clinc turned out to be tons of fun. Attending, we had 7 women ranging in age from 10 to 62 with hubby Chet hanging out as our supporting crew and chief picture taker. He had the chairs, table, work stand and all the extra wheels and tools set out for the Fix-A-Flat demo when we got back in from our first loop. Most of the group was semi-experienced in off road riding so everyone managed to stay together with no stragglers. Besides the flat repair, we talked about the tools needed to be mostly self-sufficient on the trail and the easiest way to remove and reinstall both front and rear wheels. On the trail, we worked on body positioning and weight distribution for uphill, downhill, loose sand, and small logs. We even managed to beat the rain by minutes. :p All-in-all, it was a great time!!:D :D

I'm scouting for a trail that's just 1 step up in difficulty from that one for the next ride. Hopefully we can experiment with some bunny hops, maybe some tight twisties, steeper hills, and slightly larger logs. Our next demo will include chain repair and gear and brake adjusting.

 

[liquidfeet]

Wish I could join you! Sounds like the best type of mountain bike group for beginners - good friends, education, and fine terrain changes. Envy....

 

[num]

Looks like a great time!

Now if you guys would put together a "riding a two wheeler 101" I'd be there! :o :D

 

[lil mountain girl]

i believe in you, num! :D

ride on, divas, ride on!

 

[volklgirl]

More Pics, Finally!!!

Finally got the pics developed and uploaded :o (click pic for a larger view or to be taken to our web page).

Here's everybody coming in from the first loop:


Chet had everything all set up when we got back, so we got a few minutes to relax:


I had enough wheels set up so everyone got to try changing and repairing a tube, if they wanted to:


We had one tube that defied all attempts to find and patch the leak....I finally found it when I got home and could put it in a sink full of water:

 

[volklgirl]

Pic Update part 2

I set up a practice log in a safe, soft area for everyone to try:
Donna's first attempt, oops....


Here's Becky:


Our own SnowHot:


Donna's second try:


Me:


All-in-all, a great time was had by all!

 

[SnowHot]

Note:
SnowHot seemed a little detached from the bike mechanic class. (in yellow)

It was awesome to see the enthusiasm for these women to learn these basics. It was also fun to see volklgirl(kris) do this, because she has a knack for instruction.

The years of being Gas Crew for my husbands Enduro Racing has exposed me to waaaaaay too much fun in this regard.

Kris, you did a maaaavelous thing!

Also, our friend, Donna, has a mt bike with hybrid tires as well as aggressive mt bike tires. Because of this instruction from Kris, she is now able to change her tires according to the terrain she wants to ride. Kudos to Kris for teaching and kudos to Donna for taking charge of her bike.

 

[tradygirl]

That's very cool that you girls put this together. Most beginners don't realize that self-reliance and basic bike maintenance skills are just as important as the riding skills. Flats are an inevibility, and it's good to know that you won't get stuck somewhere.

Nice work, ladies!

 

[SnowHot]

That's very cool that you girls put this together. Most beginners don't realize that self-reliance and basic bike maintenance skills are just as important as the riding skills. Flats are an inevibility, and it's good to know that you won't get stuck somewhere.

Nice work, ladies!

Make no mistake..............Volklgirl set this up, picked the nice beginner/intermediate trail, and brought the stuff to do the "lesson".

This was a fun day, and just what I needed to get over my summer slump. I've been out on my bike a lot more since this ride day, and I've pushed myself a bit harder to tackle new obstacles/opportunities.