TonyJ profile

Gold Andrew, GOLD....

We are weird animals. I have hiked in snow from the second to the fifth, wearing shorts/pads/jacket, for just the idea that it might be amazing. IT WAS NOT! but the experience will never leave me. In the end, I have had much worse rides.

The fact that Claire will remember that ride is the best part. I hope she gives you the gears about it at your eightieth birthday celebratory ride....

As somebody who has spent a great deal of time maintaining trails, trying to keep existing older traditional lines, nothing irks me more than people creating a their own personal go around on a feature or section of trail. 

IF YOU CAN'T RIDE IT, WALK IT.

We have all abided by this rule for the last 30+ years. If you don't want to "walk it" then figure out how to ride it, this is how we improve and grow as riders. If that doesn't suit your needs, then just stay off that trail, otherwise you become  the problem.

I am on the dark side of 50 now and my abilities are regressing, but I will still go for a ride/walk down the hard trails with my 30 something friends, who can send everything. I have no shame in walking anything, it is where I am at in my life.

When I was 20'ish and learning how to ride on the shore, there were things I looked at and said, that is impossible, I will never ride that. Within a couple of years, almost all of those things were ticked off the list, because I improved, I watched better riders do them, then I challenged myself to make the first attempt. 

If you just want to feel good about yourself, go ride B-Line all day long, if you want to be a "mountain cyclist" then you  should challenge yourself. 

I try to scare myself every ride, even if just on a slippery root section, trying a rock face in the wet, or letting go of the brakes in a high speed or steeper line. These are the thrills that make mountain cycling what it is, exciting and challenging.

Got in a ride on Christmas Day, it was still good, just a couple of CM's of fresh on top, it helps a lot.

Andrew,

I want to thank you for your unique outlook on the sport we all love. I always look forward to reading your article and enjoy following along in the comments conversation.

Your passion and quest for knowledge is inspirational. I can say it helps keep me going in these snowy/frozen trail days.

Does that PDF Map or the Darkforks membership get me directions straight to your cornholio, or are there more hoops (hahaha) that i will need to jump through, to get me to finish....

Deniz, I agree 100%. 

The second issue becomes, if the trail entrance and exit are just going to get blown out and people are braiding the trail that you built, when do you give up on maintaining the trail at all. 

I don't think I could abandon a trail that I built, but I sure as hell would permenantly close them.

Let me know when you need a hand with moving the massive fallen trees. I have access to a bunch of comealongs to move stuff like that.

I have nailed stuff together in the past, this lasts longer than just blocking with smaller trees, but the end result is always the same with these people.

Justin,

Just use common sense. Don't post your note at the top of the trail, leave it somewhere further down the trail, put it in a zip loc bag so it doesn't get soaked. Most of us conscientious trail users/builders pick up garbage or things left behind on the trails. If you have left a note for the builder, it will be left for the builder to pick up.

It's not really as hard as your making it out to be. I always say, when you find a new trail, enjoy it and keep it to yourself. If you find a new trail that is above your head, leave it alone, it's not yours to alter so you can ride it, when you are ready for it, it will still be there for you.

If you come across a trail with no sign at the entrance and doesn't appear on Trailforks, then assume it is unsanctioned.

Walk in and don't uncover the Entrance or Exit. Let the builder do that if it is a sanctioned trail.

ALL sanctioned trails will have trail signs and or will appear on Trailforks.

These are pretty good simple rules to follow if you are unsure.

Thanks for this. The ENTRANCE AND EXIT rules are the most important to me, the entrance is covered for a reason, so it the exit, if you can't walk 50 yards to get in and out, then don't ride the trail. I am constantly covering entrances and exits of other peoples trails, even if I am just riding past to somewhere else. This is extremely frustrating for me and spoils my mood during a ride, then my friends have to listen to me rant for the next 10 minutes, so I spoil their mood as well.

The other one is, respect the builder if they closed the trail in the winter, this is done so the trail lasts longer than a year or two. It takes a lot of work to close and re-open the trail, respect the work that goes into this.

I've reached out to him with a PM, to try and get him sorted on the basic etiquette.

Private Messaged you.

Posted by: Ddean

I know that you do, old timer!!!

Running great. Thank you for keeping the wheels greased. I’m thinking of getting back working up there despite the obvious.

I need to hit it on the hardtail and maybe get a good leaning photo while there. There's a couple of tricky spots on the squishy, that will be really zesty on the hardtail, I am interested to try it.

Posted by: Ddean

Bringing anything but a hardtail to this (oldest of) trail would be…..less fun.

I think I might recognise that place....

Posted by: NealWood

These bikes are leaning against their people which may technically be bending the thread rules. It was an informal Knolly group ride last night. We got up the snow line.

I guess I will get the invite to the "formal Knolly group ride" when that happens.

HAHAHA

Posted by: FlipSide

I never really understood how Avid screwed up to badly with the Juicy brakes. The ones I have on this bike are the first version of the Juicy 7 with the red plastic adjuster knob, from 2006 I believe. These brakes are super reliable and still working perfectly 17 years later (despite the right lever being badly corroded by DOT fluid). My understanding is that this original version has been the only good one from the Juicy line. The later versions were all crappy and unreliable. I know I had a set of Juicy 7 from 2007 and they were indeed quite underwhelming.

Original Avid Juicy 7's were manufactured/co-designed with Formula. Formula couldn't do the production quanity that Avid required at the cost needed, so Sram started their own production in Asia... At least that is what I heard back when I had connections with Formula.

Fresh coating of snow on Fromme last night and the night before. Hit fresh snow on Mtn Hwy  coming out of the climbing route yesterday.

Just won't seem to stop.

Posted by: switch

Classless post is classless.

Agreed

Take it easy there Wanderlust, hate begets hate. All this is old news, no need to be so angry about something from so far in the past, that in the end benefitted the mtb community.

As other said above, hopefully she found some peace after she left the neighbourhood.

Posted by: Vikb

Single, double or triple hardtails and all frame materials are welcome in this thread as long as you lean them up against something. ;-)

Vik is currently in the lead with the "most leans", plus a he sometimes has multiple bikes in the same lean, somebody needs to give him a run for his money. Tristan is definately in the running in the "best lean" category.

sfd_656: Nice Ride! Looking forward to seeing your leaning choices.