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2021 Mountain Biking

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4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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Sierra & Wasatch
I got out on the local trails a couple times this week but you have to pick & choose. With a melt-freeze cycle going on things can get greasy & muddy in spots forcing some reroutes. Had to hook the hose back up for a good bike wash yesterday…

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nay

dirt heel pusher
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With 60 degree weather and a great reason to be out on the western slope….rode Eagle yesterday. I was so alone, saw one dirt bike rider and that was it over 3 hours. Mostly have cell service so I kept sending my wife location tags. Was about dark when I got off the trail.

Eagle is just tough, the backcountry plateau falls down into classic western slope badlands terrain, and to do laps you have to climb up, drop, and climb up again at about 1,000 feet each time. This is erosion terrain and the trails are largely fall line, and with mixed motorcycle use, which in this case creates a ton of fun whoops on a lot of trails, the trail design assumes in a lot of places that you have powered uphill. Truly a perfect place to have an e-bike, you could ride 7K of descending in a few hours with powered uphill assist, it’s not much more than 1K per hour unless you are a top level fitness stud (or studess).

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This is looking back towards Vail.

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This is me riding until it was almost dark and being smart and packing a long sleeve.

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This is a well deserved Outer Range Hazy IPA and the local coffee house.

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And amazingly I’m the Strava local legend for the ridge climb - it’s the not typical route into these trails, but I nabbed it with 2 rides.

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4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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Returned to my summer biking grounds last night & back in the granite today. I kind of left in a hurry when the Caldor fire threatened to burn through town, so needed to get back & tie up some loose ends. Although the fire burned a few of the areas most popular trails TAMBA has been hard at restoration. Fortunately the trail system out my back door did not burn but some areas were bulldozed & brush cut. Even those areas have been cleared of obstacles & those sections of the trails are already re-emerging.

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Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
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So in the above photo, how would others get over those first few rocks? It steeper than it looks and for me trying to get my wheel up and over an obstacle without enough momentum does not always end well. Just get back and have enough speed to let the suspension ride over it? Its not really that hard, but that is not a good place to go over the bars.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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So in the above photo, how would others get over those first few rocks? It steeper than it looks and for me trying to get my wheel up and over an obstacle without enough momentum does not always end well. Just get back and have enough speed to let the suspension ride over it? Its not really that hard, but that is not a good place to go over the bars.
I'd definitely want to watch someone else do it first. I am not good enough yet to make difficult decisions on my own. I haven't been able to be consistent at pulling my front wheel up so much of what I hit I keep my fingers crossed and hope the suspension is up to the task!
 

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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Sierra & Wasatch
So in the above photo, how would others get over those first few rocks? It steeper than it looks and for me trying to get my wheel up and over an obstacle without enough momentum does not always end well. Just get back and have enough speed to let the suspension ride over it? Its not really that hard, but that is not a good place to go over the bars.
To be honest, I can’t really tell much about the feature in that photo. Not even sure about which way is up? I would need a wider perspective to figure it out. I think your looking down & it’s granite, I like granite!

Around here, “same old” clear & calm yesterday although it’s cloudy today & maybe some sprinkles in the forecast…
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AmyPJ

Skiing the powder
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So in the above photo, how would others get over those first few rocks? It steeper than it looks and for me trying to get my wheel up and over an obstacle without enough momentum does not always end well. Just get back and have enough speed to let the suspension ride over it? Its not really that hard, but that is not a good place to go over the bars.
So there is a bit of a step up to get onto the whole rock feature, but you are descending? If so, then speed and a punch of the front end to pop the front tire up onto the rock. Or just roll over it in which case yes, speed and soft arms.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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nay

dirt heel pusher
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Curious... do you have a friend doing the photos or set the camera on video and take screen shots?
I do both - we just take vids when I have one of my sons riding with me. But if I’m out on my own, I’ll just set up my phone and take a couple vids. Gives me a chance to ride certain stuff multiple times to dial a line or it’s just screwing around because I have enough time.

I took advantage of the upgrade offer of $800 on an iPhone XR and finally got the camera phone in the 13 Pro. It’s so good you feel like you have to produce stuff. I took that in the neighborhood last night after a little happy hour with ms nay after the high school choir concert. Not MTB content per se, but still. That’s a night exposure on a phone. And pure insanity for putting up lights at home.

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nay

dirt heel pusher
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Colorado
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100 mph winds will do this. The dirt is different now. But dry. Gunnison has snow, no more riding out there, skiing Monarch this weekend.

Did also ski A-Basin. Kinda wild to go from -25F windchills and frostbite to Cat 2 hurricane to riding in shorts.

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