Breakthroughs

Today was a ride where a few mental and skill breakthroughs happened. These rides are fun. Really fun.

I was invited on a group ride on one of the most technical, loose, and slow speed chunky trails in these parts. For some reason, I just knew I wanted to ride the Milk Money. I have never ridden it on these particular trails, and they are great for stressing a frame and seeing how it handles the challenge. It was sorta like bringing a knife to a gunfight, though, as the other riders were all on 6 inch travel 32-36 lb rigs...Nomad, Edison, Canfield. What the heck, I still felt like riding the single speed.

Started with a big steep, loose, ledgy climb.



Then a steep, loose, descent with drop-offs where I wished the Rampages had much bigger knobs, but didn't lose too much time.



Followed by a few miles of intermittently techy rolling singletrack perfectly suited to SS riding.





Finally, we were at the test. 1-2 miles of slightly downhill, stream bed tech with lots of slow speed chunk. I have never made it down this trail without at least one slow OTB on many different bikes, including the Lunchbox. There is cactus everywhere on this trail, and mentally it scares me.

Today, I cleaned it without difficulty.

After that section of trail, there is more rolling singletrack with one major obstacle being a switchback drop into a stream bed. I have attempted and walked this every time I have ridden here. I honestly felt it was probably unrideable for anyone without serious trials skills.

Today I saw it ridden three times, once by myself.

Here is the run in:



and run out



From below





With bike for perspective



Here is a vid on a fellow rider taking the alternate line cutting the switchback by going over a large rock formation.



What you can't see is another nasty rock behind the bush. This was a sick move to watch. I though he was a goner.

My line followed the switchback around, requiring some track standing and finesse to get around it, then over the big rock with the bike on it. No sweat it turns out. No action shots because I had the camera and didn't have the nads to do it again.

In retrospect, this supposedly "unrideable" piece of trail is entirely rideable with the right planning, encouragement, and motivation.

This ride prompted several random thoughts:

1. More is not necessarily better. Part of the reason I rode better today was simply because I wasn't wallowing around on a bigger travel bike. Those bikes are great as speeds increase, but are simply not necessary and possibly detrimental for slower speed maneuvering (at least in my hands). I suspect most of MTBdom is over suspended most of the time.

2. Riding with other folks better than you is a good thing. I simply would not have tried that move without watching a few others make it, breaking through the mental barrier of what I though possible.

3. Having a fork with rapidly adjustable low speed compression damping is really a good thing for this sort of terrain. Thanks Fox, I am digging the F29 more as I get more time on it. Very trailside tunable.

4. The small wheel guys really have some nice big knobbies. 2.5 Nevegals have huge knobbage as to the Maxxis High Rollers I saw. I like. I want. The Rampages are okay, but definitely outclassed on jeep road descents. This does not mention the casing thickness issue.

5. Many of the limits we place on ourselves are simply mental, so learn to have an open mind.

Capping the ride off was about a two mile road climb in the heat of the noon sun to get back to the car. I got great, juvenile pleasure in passing a roadie while climbing this hill. It is completely stupid and juvenile as I said, but it is way fun to reel in someone in full roadie kit on a 16-20 lb bike, passing him on your single speed with buzzing knobbies, full face helmet, and 15 lb pack with attached pads hanging off. Guys are silly. The poor dude was probably having a heart attack or heat stroke or something, and here I am getting my jollies beating him up a hill.

Still...it was fun:)