I Rode My Bike Today...

From this weekend's exploration

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Whiting - Luge - Whiting this morning. I started with Borrego for a change, even though it is the world's most boring trail ... but I like Cattle Pond and did not want to climb both Whiting Road & Mustard in order to ride it. Cattle Pond twice, up Mustard, down Cactus and then over to STT & The Luge. I did the extra credit climb off of STT even though I did not make it to the top. It is fun on the way down though.

I started down the Luge and dropped my chain about 1/5th of the way. Fixed that and then said "screw it" and walked/rode back up to the flag so I could start over. Attempt #2 was gravy, even though I messed up one of the jumps and landed too far into the bushes, but managed to keep the bike upright and finished it out.

Back to Whiting, down Sage Scrub and through all the fun twisties and back to the car. I did not encounter a single person on STT or the Luge and only a few people in Whiting. Weekday rides rule.

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I have been in that soup many times.

Faust29 said:
I've had three good weeks in a row numbers wise. I have a goal in my head to hit by the end of June... Today was supposed to be a rest day, though. :gag: @SnakeCharmer was really excited to get his bike back with a little extra bounce in his bouncy bits. So, we arranged to meet near the bottom of Lower Sam Merrill around 6:00. Snake Man took the lead, and I did what I could to hang on. My legs were nowhere to be seen for the duration of the ride. :p

We were in the soup for a good amount of time, and it was really thick at Inspiration Point... The mist was downright chilly. :eek:


:inlove:
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Middle Merrill was a hoot. No PRs were in danger, but the Moxie felt really smooth today. The motor, however, had some issues and I walked a few things that I've been cleaning lately. Between the low visibility, the moisture, and my weak legs, there was not a lot of confidence. Today should have been the day to push the pace a little, as there were no hikers. On Sunday, there were around 50 from top to bottom. :confused:

The connector trail over to Sunset was a little painful on the legs, but Sunset was a riot... As always! :inlove:

Fun morning on the mountain... :thumbsup:

16.4/3600
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Finally got to ride dirt again 8 weeks since my misadventure. Quick loop of Whiting with @Danimal on his flashy new featherweight rig. Shoulder held up just fine. Legs have definitely gone missing in action. Took it pretty easy as per doctors orders. Even so nearly came undone on Cactus, was going with the flow and hit one of the stupid off camber corners way to hot and ended up in the bushes. Seems I'm not the only one to end up there these days judging from the tire marks all pointing at various angles into the scenery on the way down :D. There is some creative alternative line choices going on down there to avoid some of the rollercoaster sections.
Said goodbye to Dan at the bottom of concourse and dragged my self back up the hill to home. Guessing there will be a few sore muscles tomorrow. Stoked to be back on the bike!
 
Lost Kiwi said:
...Even so nearly came undone on Cactus, was going with the flow and hit one of the stupid off camber corners way to hot and ended up in the bushes. Seems I'm not the only one to end up there these days judging from the tire marks all pointing at various angles into the scenery on the way down :D. There is some creative alternative line choices going on down there to avoid some of the rollercoaster sections
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I rode that for my first time last Sunday. It was...interesting. There were at least 4 "humps" that could cause serious derailment and injury. There were about 15 humps that were inconsequential. But there is no doubt in my mind that it was not built to make it fun for bikes. (Double negative just for you @buggravy :thumbsup:) I think with about three more laps, I could dial in a line that would piss off the trail builders who wanted to slow down the bikes to a crawl. Mind you, I would use my awareness bell and slow down if encountering others.
 
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Titus said:
Outstanding ride at Donner Peak. Cold and windy today. Trails were in perfect condition with some snow and water crossings. Only saw 1 rider and a few hikers.View attachment 75686
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I wondered who would be out in that frigid gale. Now I know – not many! Good one, TitBro. :thumbsup:

Next week when it's warm again I'll more than likely get back on a bike. If ya want to connect, cool. There's some great stuff I can show ya or we can keep it all above board. My goal: no motor involved, starting in Truckee. :)
 
Lost Kiwi said:
Finally got to ride dirt again 8 weeks since my misadventure. Quick loop of Whiting with @Danimal on his flashy new featherweight rig. Shoulder held up just fine. Legs have definitely gone missing in action. Took it pretty easy as per doctors orders. Even so nearly came undone on Cactus, was going with the flow and hit one of the stupid off camber corners way to hot and ended up in the bushes. Seems I'm not the only one to end up there these days judging from the tire marks all pointing at various angles into the scenery on the way down :D. There is some creative alternative line choices going on down there to avoid some of the rollercoaster sections.
Said goodbye to Dan at the bottom of concourse and dragged my self back up the hill to home. Guessing there will be a few sore muscles tomorrow. Stoked to be back on the bike!
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Let’s go for a ride, quick! This may be my only chance to keep you in my sight for a bit:)
 
Mount Wilson Shuttle Run... Minus the Shuttle Part. :cautious: :thumbsup: Legs, lungs, and all the other assorted parts felt really good today... Much better than the other day with @SnakeCharmer . 48 degrees is the lowest temp I've seen in a couple weeks, and it felt really nice. I made the 10 miles and 4000 feet to Markham saddle in decent time, and the new drive train was smooth and quiet. I was alone from the last mile on Lower Sam Merrill all the way to the start of Upper Sam Merrill, where I encountered a couple young lady hikers. Pretty peaceful up there... :thumbsup:

At Markham Saddle...
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I took a quick break, donned my cranium dome, and set off... Then promptly took a minor digger on one of the rock features that I've been cleaning lately. :Roflmao Nothing serious, just a bruised ego to go with a scraped palm, knee, and forearm. Rule #1 in the San Gabes- Don't get complacent. :oops:

I took it easy on the rest of Upper Merrill, stopping here and there to take a photo or two...

Sketchy Little Section...
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Working up the Stones to try Schoots... Not Today. :stop:
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I only ran into one couple hiking on Middle Merrill, so I let the bike run in spots... Same for Sunset. :thumbsup: The improved sight lines make Middle Merrill a lot safer. :thumbsup: Fun bumpy run down the mountain today. :inlove: Horse Trail finish with some extra credit to get 5000...

Bikes are fun!

23/5100/4.25/30
 
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Almost 3 full months since my last rip around The Cheese. Corrected that today. Shortish loop with my neighbor, with Sheep Corral as the focal point and finale. Felt so good to be back out there, though it was oddly busy for a Thursday. 13.1/1559, and felt like I'd just scratched the surface, but today was my last day of real constraints on my days off. Yeehaw.
 
mike said:
I wondered who would be out in that frigid gale. Now I know – not many! Good one, TitBro. :thumbsup:

Next week when it's warm again I'll more than likely get back on a bike. If ya want to connect, cool. There's some great stuff I can show ya or we can keep it all above board. My goal: no motor involved, starting in Truckee. :)
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Thanks Mike. Unfortunately I'm only up here a couple more days. Rode 19.6 miles today on the trt and the starting temp was 38 degrees. Saw some hikers today but only a few riders. Wish I could spend the summer up here.
 
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park this morning. Started @ 8ish, and despite the car thermometer saying 67 ... it felt much hotter. Bright sun for the entire ride sapped my energy pretty good by the end. :gag:

Lizards twice, BVD, Camarillo & Emerald Canyon to the end, which is always a blast. There were quite a few hikers and other riders out for a Friday, but still nothing like a typical weekend. I skipped Fence Line today as there were about 20 very spread out hikers on it. Everyone must have taken Friday off work. :rolleyes:

I embarrassingly crashed on the uphill on Stage Coach when the rear tire caught a big rock on a steep part and I fell. LOL. That was a first. No damage done, but I was glad nobody saw it. :laugh:

I have been practicing my bike lean through corners lately, and today my ambition outran my skill on Lizards, and I went down. Nothing but a scraped knee, fortunately.

I dropped the chain towards the bottom of BVD, so I sessioned the huck at the bottom a few times after I fixed it. On the second run down Lizards I had to take a few alternate lines as there was a fairly spread out group of teens walking their bikes down. They all gave me plenty of space though.

Unfortunately, the park was grading some of the fire roads, so the climbs on Laurel were torturous. I had to hike a bike through a number of steep spots as the dirt was too deep to get any traction. I hope they are not planning on doing the entire park. :eek:

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Solo ride to the peak today via Maple Springs. Started early to beat the heat and apparently the crowds? I think every motorcycle in OC was coming up as I was descending. Quite a few Jeep’s and trucks as well. A few close calls from drivers thinking they were Ivan Stewart. Stay alert out there. 24 miles 4000ft.

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Tom the Bomb said:
Nice wish I coulda joined. How were the temps up there?
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Wish you'd been there Tom. Weather was absolutely perfect. Slightly warm in the sun, cool breeze all day. Only a couple (uneventful) encounters with hikers.
We were talking about possible routes just as we get to Mt. High, and Fran says, "You've NEVER ridden Table Mt?!?" So we hit his 3-leaf clover route. Gotta say, it's a nice way to put together those trails.
 
I was planning to meet @SS Barby today at MTT, but I got held up with work. I got out to Marshall Cyn (13/1,850’) 4 hours after my original schedule, and it was glorious! Railed the DH. Been setting some PRs lately since switching from the Shimano Saint to the Magura MT7 brakes. I attribute that to more modulation leading to entering turns a little hotter than before. I need to put them to the test on Critters (trail in upper right of photo), but not with a Bontrager SE 4 in the rear.
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I have a Kenda Hellkat on standby ready to go when the SE4 wears out.
 
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Obsidian said:
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park this morning. Started @ 8ish, and despite the car thermometer saying 67 ... it felt much hotter. Bright sun for the entire ride sapped my energy pretty good by the end. :gag:

Lizards twice, BVD, Camarillo & Emerald Canyon to the end, which is always a blast. There were quite a few hikers and other riders out for a Friday, but still nothing like a typical weekend. I skipped Fence Line today as there were about 20 very spread out hikers on it. Everyone must have taken Friday off work. :rolleyes:

I embarrassingly crashed on the uphill on Stage Coach when the rear tire caught a big rock on a steep part and I fell. LOL. That was a first. No damage done, but I was glad nobody saw it. :laugh:

I have been practicing my bike lean through corners lately, and today my ambition outran my skill on Lizards, and I went down. Nothing but a scraped knee, fortunately.

I dropped the chain towards the bottom of BVD, so I sessioned the huck at the bottom a few times after I fixed it. On the second run down Lizards I had to take a few alternate lines as there was a fairly spread out group of teens walking their bikes down. They all gave me plenty of space though.

Unfortunately, the park was grading some of the fire roads, so the climbs on Laurel were torturous. I had to hike a bike through a number of steep spots as the dirt was too deep to get any traction. I hope they are not planning on doing the entire park. :eek:

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Nice ride. Bummed to hear about the road grading. Welcome to the Lizard "slap-down-for-no-reason" club. Hoping your scrapes are just that.

I'm confused about Lizard, BVD, Camarillo, Em Canyon. Camarillo is nowhere near the rest of those. I guess you were just listing the downs and not in order.
 
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herzalot said:
I'm confused about Lizard, BVD, Camarillo, Em Canyon. Camarillo is nowhere near the rest of those. I guess you were just listing the downs and not in order.
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Yes, no particular order. After Lizard I made a left and then over to Camarillo and back to the parking lot at Nix. In order it was Stage Coach, Lizard, BVD, Emerald Canyon, Lizard, and Camarillo for the downs.
 
An early start this morning with @Faust29. Strawberry Peak Loop was the plan. I reached out to a few others but nobody else could make it for certain. So, we met up at 5:00am, yep, 5:00am. Geared up and waited a few mins for another who said he may or may not attend. Nobody showed up so we set off. The light was low but the temp was already 60F. The suffering began as expected. But we eventually got up to the saddle. The roll through the ST was quiet and peaceful but it's getting chewed up pretty good but what looks to me like e-bikes or possibly e-motos. No new downed trees. We surfed our way down into the meadow. Somebody has swept off that last steep DH that drops down into the meadow, so that was nice, but it was slip and slide up until that point. It was cool down in the meadows, like always. Almost chilly, but it felt good to me. We played in the rocks on the way to the monster climb out and then slow and steady for me all the way back to the saddle. Steve was gone, lol. It was not until we started the DH back toward Redbox that we finally started to see some humans. And quite a few, there was. Back at Redbox, we took a breather near the faucet. The museum was not open yet. It was pretty darn early still.

Steve had all the excitement today (the good and the bad) so I will cut out here and let him take over.
 
SnakeCharmer said:
An early start this morning with @Faust29. Strawberry Peak Loop was the plan. I reached out to a few others but nobody else could make it for certain. So, we met up at 5:00am, yep, 5:00am. Geared up and waited a few mins for another who said he may or may not attend. Nobody showed up so we set off. The light was low but the temp was already 60F. The suffering began as expected. But we eventually got up to the saddle. The roll through the ST was quiet and peaceful but it's getting chewed up pretty good but what looks to me like e-bikes or possibly e-motos. No new downed trees. We surfed our way down into the meadow. Somebody has swept off that last steep DH that drops down into the meadow, so that was nice, but it was slip and slide up until that point. It was cool down in the meadows, like always. Almost chilly, but it felt good to me. We played in the rocks on the way to the monster climb out and then slow and steady for me all the way back to the saddle. Steve was gone, lol. It was not until we started the DH back toward Redbox that we finally started to see some humans. And quite a few, there was. Back at Redbox, we took a breather near the faucet. The museum was not open yet. It was pretty darn early still.

Steve had all the excitement today (the good and the bad) so I will cut out here and let him take over.
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Faustie smacked into the batholith, didn’t he!?!
 
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