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2021 Mountain Biking

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Tom K.

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Eek. I haven't owned a hardtail since 2004, and I don't want to think about going back. At least it has discs.
It's honestly not all that bad. Ok first ride, when I took bike out was disaster.

Same here, on both counts. When I take my HT out for a real mtb ride, I don't enjoy it.

But last year I found myself in circumstances where I rode it four days in a row, and everything started clicking on the third day.

Score one for proprioception!
 

Tricia

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@Philpug started the season a few years ago riding my old Klein Attitude. I had made it a single speed but he made it a 1X7 to ride until he got his new bike ordered.
So here's my five year old on the pump track...
View attachment 137982
As cool as it is to see some of the BA riding from some of our grown ups, I'm almost more stoked about the kids riding pics and seeing dads like the one I encountered teaching his kids.
Then there's @nay and his pictures of his son. That's a whole different element of "kids on bikes"

Thanks for sharing this @scott43
 

Bienski

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Really great to see the two little guys out on bikes in Tricia’s post. My first thought however, was regarding their poorly fitted helmets, particularly the blue helmeted one. I’m sure the readers of this forum are aware of the dangers of ill-fitted helmets. My question is, what to do or say, if anything, in a situation like that? On more than one occasion, after making what I thought was a very tactful comment about the child’s helmet fit, I was told by the parent to mind my own business. Thoughts/suggestions?
 
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scott43

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No offense, but do you have kids? I'd say rule number one is don't talk about other people's kids. I get you have good intentions but this is a minefield. You'd have to have UN level diplomacy skillz to pull it off without offending someone. I'm not judging just pointing out human nature.. you're absolutely right but.... Minefield...
 

sparty

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No offense, but do you have kids? I'd say rule number one is don't talk about other people's kids. I get you have good intentions but this is a minefield. You'd have to have UN level diplomacy skillz to pull it off without offending someone. I'm not judging just pointing out human nature.. you're absolutely right but.... Minefield...
In light of not having UN-level, nor even Myanmar-level diplomatic skills, I tend to keep my mouth shut unless I'm already engaged in conversation that I can easily slip it into. I do cringe, though, and fervently hope that the poor helmet fit doesn't come back to cause injury.

I will point out unbuckled helmets, as people seem to be more receptive to that. I generally skip the explanation as to why that's a serious safety risk unless it's someone I'd be responsible for (e.g. one of my ski-racing athletes).
 

Doug Briggs

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As a survivor (mostly) of several severe concussions, all accompanied by helmet usage, I cringe, but keep my mouth shut, when I see helmets not being fitted and properly worn. I do, like @sparty, mention unbuckled straps to perfect strangers. Even the lifties and scanners will often mention them, usually on my first run, when I haven't buckled up.
 

Tony S

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Really great to see the two little guys out on bikes in Tricia’s post. My first thought however, was regarding their poorly fitted helmets, particularly the blue helmeted one. I’m sure the readers of this forum are aware of the dangers of ill-fitted helmets. My question is, what to do or say, if anything, in a situation like that? On more than one occasion, after making what I thought was a very tactful comment about the child’s helmet fit, I was told by the parent to mind my own business. Thoughts/suggestions?
For all you know this session was preceded by fifteen forty-five minute contentious conversations with the kid and the rest of the family, over the course of eight months, about wearing a helmet, and what you see in the photo was the detente finally arrived at. In no context is "it's not a perfect world" more true than in parenting.
 

4ster

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Just another helmet thread?

Well fit MIPS helmets...
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Andy Mink

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I managed to get a few 25 mile rides in recently. One barely counts as a MTB ride as it was entirely on dirt roads but you dance with who brung ya. We were camping with friends near Wildhorse Reservoir (about 60 miles north of Elko, NV) last week. On Sunday night we had a luau to celebrate some friends' 40th anniversary. I felt guilty and decided I'd better ride somewhere in the morning. I also have an antelope tag in the area in September, so two birds with two wheels!
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Up with the sun before it got too hot

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If you look closely, you'll see a herd of antelope on the right and getting on to the road. We had a race. I did not prevail. I couldn't even catch their dust!

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Another batch of speed goats crossing in front of me. Apologies for the poor video capture!

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When "YOU ARE HERE" doesn't really tell you much.

The second ride was my hardest yet. I rode to the top of Peavine Mountain this morning. A little over 3000' vertical over 25.8 miles. The ride up was a mix of excellent MTB single track and the access road to the towers at the top of the mountain. Even with my eMTB, there was plenty of perspiration. The ride down was on an, ahem, trail-like "path" that was steep, rocky, and had sand and loose gravel thrown in for good measure. My arms were more tired than my legs by the bottom.

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Remnants of the fire from last year or two years ago.

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Flowers along the trail.

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Up the access road. This was a grind.

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At the top looking at the Golden and Lemmon Valley, and Stead. I think I can see your house, @Pat AKA mustski!

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Reno as the smoke drifts in from one or more fires.

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The "trail" down.

So, a few good rides, though not as often as I want or should. I will say this is way better than I thought it would be!
 
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AmyPJ

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Nice work, Andy! 25 miles is still a lot of miles on any terrain. That descent from Peavine looks like chunky fun that would definitely get tiring after awhile.
 

Doug Briggs

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The AQI has been over 100 most days lately. This morning it started out in the teens so I got out and got after it. I started up one of my usual loops from the house and at a junction noticed a new trail. So I took it!

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A few hundred yards in I came across this tree.

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And slayed it.

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Farther along I came across this artifact from the old mining days. I think they should call this trail 'Broken Wheel'.

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They put a lot of effort into this retaining wall. The trail was about 4 feet above the original grade. The Breck trail crew is awesome. The didn't have to go far for the mineral soil, though. ;)

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I was like'n this trail a lot. It joined up with the final switchback of another nice trail. I chose to ride back down Broken Wheel, though. Super plush descent. No brake bumps. :rolleyes:

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Andy Mink

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IMG_20210721_102842_DRO.jpg

Farther along I came across this artifact from the old mining days. I think they should call this trail 'Broken Wheel'.
It looks like an old ore cart wheel. Very cool!
 

Tony S

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For all you know this session was preceded by fifteen forty-five minute contentious conversations with the kid and the rest of the family, over the course of eight months, about wearing a helmet, and what you see in the photo was the detente finally arrived at. In no context is "it's not a perfect world" more true than in parenting.
I saw this on FB today and thought of this conversation. SO TRUE!

Screenshot_20210721-190742_Facebook-01.jpeg
 
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scott43

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I am currently living this.. ^^^^^

"I dont want my bum changed! I want my POOH!!!"
"I don't want socks! I just want my rubber boots!!"
"No seatbelts!!! NOOO!!!!"
 

Doug Briggs

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It looks like an old ore cart wheel. Very cool!
There was another one lower down the trail that I didn't photograph as I was on a roll. There's an old ore cart near a trailhead in the vicinity. Mining remnants are all over the place. If I stopped to shoot everything of interest, I'd never go more than a mile or two. ;-)
 

Andy Mink

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There was another one lower down the trail that I didn't photograph as I was on a roll. There's an old ore cart near a trailhead in the vicinity. Mining remnants are all over the place. If I stopped to shoot everything of interest, I'd never go more than a mile or two. ;-)
Sometimes you just have to take that slow road!
 

Doug Briggs

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Sometimes you just have to take that slow road!
I'll take the slow road, fast, thank you. :duck: I did stop to remove the tree, too.

The following is with tongue firmly in cheek, but I do take a lot of mining pictures. Way more of flowers.
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Said mining cart,

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A test pit (I always do three laps),

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trail builder art,

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abandoned dredge boat,

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a gantry of some sort,

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more trail builder art,

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and a moose on a mining ditch berm. Stopping for this last photo was not really optional. I had to wait for the moose to move. ;)

And that's just a 12 month cycle of riding. And with all the wild flower photos, it's a miracle I ever get home.

The mining industry severely impacted the biking that followed it by decades. Lots of our trails are on ditches and mining roads. Just about every trail has a mining cabin or remains along it. On one of the the trails leaving my neighborhood there is a 6 - 8 foot gear erected as a 'monument' and some sort of drilling device. I'll slow down and take a picture of them the next time I head out. ogsmile

:beercheer:
 
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