I Rode My Bike Today...

View from plunge

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Rode yesterday with Vince and Kimmi. Up Skyline in Corona I knew I'd get dropped . Two reasons: 1, they are fast and 2, I'm a little beat up from a bad crash on the Floop the other night. Did I forget to tell you about that?:oops: Anyway, slogged up the climb on the geared WFO9. The weather was cool but muggy. The sun never came out. Good thing as I did not put on any sunscreen. They waited for my slow arse atop Skyline and we were off. Got dropped again as is the story throughout the day. Kept my eye out for @Faust29 and @mtnbikej but didn't cross paths. Apparently they were trailing my path but about an hour behind. Across Main Divide, Ups and downs. Silence all around. Even the WFO9 was quiet.:thumbsup: Love the feeling of just being out in the middle of nowhere. Down Motorway felt smooth. Trail is in great shape IMO. Regrouped and took a break at the Silverado market. Feeling good we were talking about extra credit. Up Blackstar we went. Dropped again.:rolleyes: At this point I started to bonk. Just had no legs.:gotnothing: So much for extra credit. Felt like it took forever to get back to the top. Ran into @Stkx66 , good to see you Steve. Finally done with climbing. Now the fun - Troy Lee. What? I've never ridden this before. Go figure. :confused: Holy st!t what a blast. Are you kidding? How did I not ride this before? Super cool techy steep single track. Maybe I'm just over excited because it's new semi local dirt for me. Really made my day though. Troy Lee the long way.:Roflmao I'm thinking next weekend riding Skyline up two or three times and descending TL and some other goods near by:whistling: if anyone is interested. Great day to be out in the mountains.

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Cannell... On the other hand..wow! Memory erased so much.. forgot all the tech ..but it was some fun doable tech..views are amazing.. weird rocks ..lake Isabella.. cool forests.. Meadows..dung bombs..
I only looked at the trail on the plunge portion.. exposure on skinny single track..
I had to stop and look at the views...
Wow Cannell wow..
Was bummed that I missed group ride..glad I got to make it up...
Met some nice people too..think mtb!
Thank mtb!
 
Grego said:
Rode yesterday with Vince and Kimmi. Up Skyline in Corona I knew I'd get dropped . Two reasons: 1, they are fast and 2, I'm a little beat up from a bad crash on the Floop the other night. Did I forget to tell you about that?:oops: Anyway, slogged up the climb on the geared WFO9. The weather was cool but muggy. The sun never came out. Good thing as I did not put on any sunscreen. They waited for my slow arse atop Skyline and we were off. Got dropped again as is the story throughout the day. Kept my eye out for @Faust29 and @mtnbikej but didn't cross paths. Apparently they were trailing my path but about an hour behind. Across Main Divide, Ups and downs. Silence all around. Even the WFO9 was quiet.:thumbsup: Love the feeling of just being out in the middle of nowhere. Down Motorway felt smooth. Trail is in great shape IMO. Regrouped and took a break at the Silverado market. Feeling good we were talking about extra credit. Up Blackstar we went. Dropped again.:rolleyes: At this point I started to bonk. Just had no legs.:gotnothing: So much for extra credit. Felt like it took forever to get back to the top. Ran into @Stkx66 , good to see you Steve. Finally done with climbing. Now the fun - Troy Lee. What? I've never ridden this before. Go figure. :confused: Holy st!t what a blast. Are you kidding? How did I not ride this before? Super cool techy steep single track. Maybe I'm just over excited because it's new semi local dirt for me. Really made my day though. Troy Lee the long way.:Roflmao I'm thinking next weekend riding Skyline up two or three times and descending TL and some other goods near by:whistling: if anyone is interested. Great day to be out in the mountains.

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Not bad stats for a guy who recently stacked and has no legs ;)
 
I headed up on my weekly Sunday Harding ride... and I saw some dude heading out in front of me that looked like @mtnbikej . So I go to chase him down... and he continues to pull away from me. Big time. I lose sight of him early on... and then run back into him as he is at the point of no return - heading down (while I was still climbing). 1:25 to Four Corners? Yup - he was on an e-bike.

Otherwise it was misty and cool the entire climb. In marine layer the entire way until just before Four Corners. And it was cold - I was hitting 41.9 degrees right at the top. Cold enough that when I turned around and started back down, I hit a thermal layer of air and had to stop because my glasses fogged on the OUTSIDE. What a difference two weeks make. Trail was damp for the first half, and trail use is starting to remove the worst of the bulldozer damage. Two weeks ago I rode up and down, and didn't see a single biker. People were out in force, yesterday, that's for sure! Trail runners, hikers, bikers, the trail was PACKED.

Glad to get down into the sun and warmth. And the Bears won yesterday, which is a bonus!
 
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floop danger warning... the drop in jump past the tunnel and make a left up the single track has a gap jump! the jump use to be a single hump jump but some one put a gap on it! whew.. almost crashed into the 2nd bump... could be accident waiting to happen .. floop changes are suprising ….
 
Monday Marauders massacre mission: Strawberry Peak Loop :cool:

I put the notice out a few days back but got only one biter. Strawberry Peak is in great condition right now. A little loose in the usual spots but there has clearly been some work done on the system this year. Some parts were in the best shape that I have ever seen. I was hoping for a lil' hero dirt in the shaded sections but it would appear that the rain did not fall there. No downed trees! And almost no traffic (a few hikers, no bikes). Just @buggravy and I rolling through and bear pies and bear foot prints. Perfect temps.

We met at the lower end of Angeles Crest Hwy this morning at about 7:30 and then set off for the 15 minute drive up to Clear Creek Junction. I was amazed at the constant flow of traffic coming down the canyon from the High Desert commuters who use the forest hwys to get through. It was a bit on the nippy side when we set off but 5 minutes up that initial climb had us warm and comfy. And that steep climb is the real deal. It let's you know that this ride means business. The fire road is in amazing shape. Seems recently graded and that made the climb a little bit better.

At 2.5 miles of upness, we reached the saddle between Strawberry and Augustine. We took a breather there, did some hydrating, and got psyched up for the fun that was about to begin. The first exposure section in the white crumbling granite was very loose. Not exactly safe. I usually pedal right through there but I found my bike not wanting to track well so I walked some of it. Better to be safe than sorry because right there, it's a loooooong waaaaay down. After that area, not far along, I started seeing fresh bear tracks. So I clapped my hands together loudly several times and Matt started using his trail bell. We stopped a few times to take it all in visually and we never did see or hear a bear.

The meadow was tranquil, as usual and at this point, we had not seen another soul. We kept hearing boulders falling from a few different directions, so them mountains must be moving. :eek:

Pretty sure I heard some gunfire off in the distance as well. Is it hunting season already? The roll on out to the HAB climb was fun, like always. The HAB climb is the HAB climb and it will always be the HAB climb :gag:. After that, the climb out was nice. A little loose as expected but not a problem at all. We made good time getting to the last saddle where the Strawberry Peak ridge trail starts. Some e-biker tried to scratch off the wording on the NO E-BIKES decal there :rolleyes:. We took a refueling break at the saddle and then set off for the exposed DH section. I have to say that this section is in the very best condition that I have ever seen it in. Bravo to whoever leveled it out and fixed all of the sketchy/techy turns. It was a true joy to roll through there, best part of the ride for me. The rest of the way down to the highway was fun. I was able to get some nice air on the humps and Matt liked that section, too.

At Redbox, we took another breather. I was hoping that the little convenience shop would be open so that I could grab a cold drink but it was locked up. A roadie arrived shortly after we did. We chatted briefly and then we set off. Matt was thinking that the ride might be over at this point. But no, we had the Gabrielino Trail to drop in on!!! Matt enjoyed it, his first pass through there as well. Such a fun trail. Only one downed tree and the creek has completely dried up. :(

The grind back up the pavement to the shortcut trail went by quickly and before long, we back at our vehicles. There was more fresh bear poop on that trail as well.

We changed out of our well used cycling attire for clean clothes and headed down the hill. Our food destination would end up being Chipotle, which hit the spot! :)

Thanks to @buggravy for attending. It was a great ride. Rubberside stayed up, and no mechanicals. :cool:

Garmin says:
15.14 miles
2671' gain

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Today was easily my most mentally exhausting day in the saddle, but was ultimately also a lot of fun. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little freaked out about the exposure after watching a couple videos of the ride. Getting into the ride, it was indeed a bit freaky. IMO the exposure on Cannell has nothing on Strawberry Peak in terms of spook factor. Cleared the mental hurdle (mostly) before too long, and settled into a groove that became almost meditative with the focus needed. Occasionally I'd be awakened from my zen state, either by a tire slipping, or getting stabbed by a yucca plant. The downhill after the saddle was killer, particularly the faster flowy portion lower down. What I had not seen in videos, and what was a pleasant surprise, was the highish speed flowy chunky run down Gabrielino. I had reservations about doing this ride, but decided to push through thinking I might not be in a rush to go back but would be happy I'd done it. It ended up being a really fun, rewarding, multi-faceted ride, that I actually can't wait to do again.

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buggravy said:
Today was easily my most mentally exhausting day in the saddle, but was ultimately also a lot of fun. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little freaked out about the exposure after watching a couple videos of the ride. Getting into the ride, it was indeed a bit freaky. IMO the exposure on Cannell has nothing on Strawberry Peak in terms of spook factor. There was a lot of exposure, but at least it was off camber and loose AF. Cleared the mental hurdle (mostly) before too long, and settled into a groove that became almost meditative with the focus needed. Occasionally I'd be awakened from my zen state, either by a tire slipping, or getting stabbed by a yucca plant. The downhill after the saddle was killer, particularly the faster flowy portion lower down. What I had not seen in videos, and what was a pleasant surprise, was the highish speed flowy chunky run down Gabrielino. I had reservations about doing this ride, but decided to push through thinking I might not be in a rush to go back but would be happy I'd done it. It ended up being a really fun, rewarding, multi-faceted ride, that I actually can't wait to do again.

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I see my tire tread marks in the second from the bottom image! :p
 
Saturday Jennifer wanted to go out and try her new dropper post so I put a nice loop together where she could utilize it. Unfortunately the drizzle was a little heavier than expected so we just stayed closer to home and fortunately were able to stay dry for the most part. Of course a wet bike and dry dusty trails is almost as bad is riding in the rain.

She got the hang of it real quick and just as I thought lowers it just enough to get it out of the way but is still able to use the seat to control her bike. I couldn't get out in front of her far enough to get any pics on the descents. Next time.

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Sunday was a beautiful day so again we set out on my planned loop. Unfortunately after the first climb she decided to call it quits. She wasn't fully recovered from Saturday and her lungs weren't opening up. After a short break she decided to just stay in the same area we were in on Saturday and experiment more with her dropper post. I thought about going my my own way but decided to hang with her as I could get a few rides in this week. It turned out to be another great day.

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Today I planned on getting up early and getting some climbing in. I got up early but decided to hang out until Jennifer left for work. I decided to take the local fire roads over to Calabasas and back. I wanted to hit some singletrack along the way but decided against it as I was alone and it was a weekday. I actually only ran into one lady on a horse and two mountain bikers the whole ride. I was going for 6k but ended up with a little more. Perfect day for climbing. We're flying up to Idaho Friday so hopefully I'll get a couple more rides in this week.

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SnakeCharmer said:
Monday Marauders massacre mission: Strawberry Peak Loop :cool:

I put the notice out a few days back but got only one biter. Strawberry Peak is in great condition right now. A little loose in the usual spots but there has clearly been some work done on the system this year. Some parts were in the best shape that I have ever seen. I was hoping for a lil' hero dirt in the shaded sections but it would appear that the rain did not fall there. No downed trees! And almost no traffic (a few hikers, no bikes). Just @buggravy and I rolling through and bear pies and bear foot prints. Perfect temps.

We met at the lower end of Angeles Crest Hwy this morning at about 7:30 and then set off for the 15 minute drive up to Clear Creek Junction. I was amazed at the constant flow of traffic coming down the canyon from the High Desert commuters who use the forest hwys to get through. It was a bit on the nippy side when we set off but 5 minutes up that initial climb had us warm and comfy. And that steep climb is the real deal. It let's you know that this ride means business. The fire road is in amazing shape. Seems recently graded and that made the climb a little bit better.

At 2.5 miles of upness, we reached the saddle between Strawberry and Augustine. We took a breather there, did some hydrating, and got psyched up for the fun that was about to begin. The first exposure section in the white crumbling granite was very loose. Not exactly safe. I usually pedal right through there but I found my bike not wanting to track well so I walked some of it. Better to be safe than sorry because right there, it's a loooooong waaaaay down. After that area, not far along, I started seeing fresh bear tracks. So I clapped my hands together loudly several times and Matt started using his trail bell. We stopped a few times to take it all in visually and we never did see or hear a bear.

The meadow was tranquil, as usual and at this point, we had not seen another soul. We kept hearing boulders falling from a few different directions, so them mountains must be moving. :eek:

Pretty sure I heard some gunfire off in the distance as well. Is it hunting season already? The roll on out to the HAB climb was fun, like always. The HAB climb is the HAB climb and it will always be the HAB climb :gag:. After that, the climb out was nice. A little loose as expected but not a problem at all. We made good time getting to the last saddle where the Strawberry Peak ridge trail starts. Some e-biker tried to scratch off the wording on the NO E-BIKES decal there :rolleyes:. We took a refueling break at the saddle and then set off for the exposed DH section. I have to say that this section is in the very best condition that I have ever seen it in. Bravo to whoever leveled it out and fixed all of the sketchy/techy turns. It was a true joy to roll through there, best part of the ride for me. The rest of the way down to the highway was fun. I was able to get some nice air on the humps and Matt liked that section, too.

At Redbox, we took another breather. I was hoping that the little convenience shop would be open so that I could grab a cold drink but it was locked up. A roadie arrived shortly after we did. We chatted briefly and then we set off. Matt was thinking that the ride might be over at this point. But no, we had the Gabrielino Trail to drop in on!!! Matt enjoyed it, his first pass through there as well. Such a fun trail. Only one downed tree and the creek has completely dried up. :(

The grind back up the pavement to the shortcut trail went by quickly and before long, we back at our vehicles. There was more fresh bear poop on that trail as well.

We changed out of our well used cycling attire for clean clothes and headed down the hill. Our food destination would end up being Chipotle, which hit the spot! :)

Thanks to @buggravy for attending. It was a great ride. Rubberside stayed up, and no mechanicals. :cool:

Garmin says:
15.14 miles
2671' gain

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Oh sweet! But, bummed that I missed this, it looks beautiful!
Had an appt with safelite for a windshield repair at home, the arrival window was 5hourso_O
 
buggravy said:
Today was easily my most mentally exhausting day in the saddle, but was ultimately also a lot of fun. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little freaked out about the exposure after watching a couple videos of the ride. Getting into the ride, it was indeed a bit freaky. IMO the exposure on Cannell has nothing on Strawberry Peak in terms of spook factor. Cleared the mental hurdle (mostly) before too long, and settled into a groove that became almost meditative with the focus needed. Occasionally I'd be awakened from my zen state, either by a tire slipping, or getting stabbed by a yucca plant. The downhill after the saddle was killer, particularly the faster flowy portion lower down. What I had not seen in videos, and what was a pleasant surprise, was the highish speed flowy chunky run down Gabrielino. I had reservations about doing this ride, but decided to push through thinking I might not be in a rush to go back but would be happy I'd done it. It ended up being a really fun, rewarding, multi-faceted ride, that I actually can't wait to do again.

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Wait what!? You actually took pics!:thumbsup:
 
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