Weekend MTB Rides

[Irulan]

Bead Lake trail this weekend. It's a quick fix of non-urban. 11 miles up a very mellow logging road grade, then 6 miles of single track. The trail wends through dark cedar groves alternating with lakeside exposure. We got a cold, early start and were done by 2 PM. We were hoping for more fall color; that's next weekend I guess.

[Artista]

Thanks for the pic, Irulan. I love seeing where other people ride.

I'm surprised that you don't have any color yet. Aren't you in the PNW? Our color in the high country is mostly exhausted. It's gotta be the elevation.

[Irulan]

It was kind of crazy: we were totally expecting the larch to have been starting to color, but they were still green. It must be micro-climates as it really varies from valley to valley right now. And yes, I'm in the interior PNW. This lake is actually on the WA/ID border about 70 miles south of Canada.

[indysteel]

How pretty, Irulan! Thanks for sharing the photo!

[thekarens]

Beautiful pic Irulan! Makes me wish I had been into cycling when I lived in Idaho.

[tzvia]

I see plenty of color in Irulan's photo . Compared to our tan and brown desert it looks just beautiful. Out here we don't get fall. We go straight from the summer heat to gray winter. If we get enough rain, sometimes flowers bloom from the temporarily green foliage, only to dry up in a week. One spring we had butterflies. It was like a dream, riding and seeing butterflies take flight all around me. I was giddy, remembering when I was a kid and there were butterflies every spring. But tan and brown are the norm out here... It looks wonderful up there.

[indysteel]

DH and I did 14 miles today with two friends at Vesailles State Park in southern Indiana. We had the place to ourselves, probably because there's a big fee ride at another park this weekend. The colors still haven't peaked but it was quite scenic. The ride itself went well, but my legs felt dead at times.

[Irulan]

A "drop" is shorthand for drop off. You can can little drops that can be handled by just rolling or a lunge, or bigger ones that require more maneuvering like a manual, wheelie drop or air time to handle. A drop be natural such as a root crossing a trail, naturally formed by rocks, or a man made structure.

[Catrin]

A "drop" is shorthand for drop off. You can can little drops that can be handled by just rolling or a lunge, or bigger ones that require more maneuvering like a manual, wheelie drop or air time to handle. A drop be natural such as a root crossing a trail, naturally formed by rocks, or a man made structure.

I guess that I've never given those things a separate name (or heard it being used). I just think of it as mountain biking/riding. I know someone in Texas who uses that term for the down-hill side of things so I was wondering if this was the same usage. Thanks Irulan!

[Irulan]

You can find plenty of smaller drops on an technical XC trail too, depending on where you roll.

[Catrin]

You can find plenty of smaller drops on an technical XC trail too, depending on where you roll.

Yes, your description reminded me of plenty of places on the trails I've been riding - I just never gave them a different name Obviously they weren't extreme.

[indysteel]

I guess that I've never given those things a separate name (or heard it being used). I just think of it as mountain biking/riding. I know someone in Texas who uses that term for the down-hill side of things so I was wondering if this was the same usage. Thanks Irulan!

Catrin, I can't think of any true "drops" or "drop offs" on the trails you typically ride, i.e., Limekiln, Pine Loop or North Tower Loop. That's not saying there aren't any; just that none come to mind. The ones I can think of are on the the Connector heading toward the North Tower Loop trailhead that are from roots across the trail. They're small enough that you can generally just roll over them, making sure to keep your butt back as you do. They've gotten a bit more pronounced with the erosion we experienced this summer.

[limewave]

I did a short mtb ride yesterday on the demo bike with one of my friends. It was cold but sunny and beautiful out. Even so, we sold out after just 8 miles (planned on riding 24) and went to get coffee! We figured that no amount of training we did that day is going to improve our chances at the race this Saturday It was nice!

[Catrin]

Catrin, I can't think of any true "drops" or "drop offs" on the trails you typically ride, i.e., Limekiln, Pine Loop or North Tower Loop. That's not saying there aren't any; just that none come to mind. The ones I can think of are on the the Connector heading toward the North Tower Loop trailhead that are from roots across the trail. They're small enough that you can generally just roll over them, making sure to keep your butt back as you do. They've gotten a bit more pronounced with the erosion we experienced this summer.

I was thinking of a couple of rocks on Limekiln, and that section on the NT Loop where the combination of roots, ruts, and divots tend to have me walking. I remember that section of the Connector you mention. The rocks on Limekiln do have a way to get around them - but I always had fun rolling over them from the campground direction.

[thekarens]

Skills class on 11/10 and today we went out and practiced those new skills. Nice, easy trail.