I Rode My Bike Today...

Well I actually rode yesterday but this is my first chance to write about it. Had a work colleague staying with me Saturday night so beers were consumed, he disappeared to the airport at 6am so I decided to get on the bike and do a Whiting Luge Loop. Took the Whyte for something different. Temps were cold, but things warmed up enough to feel my fingers again by the time I turned in of Portola to start up Borrego. I got to the bottom of Mustard and was feeling well funky, probably the Triple IPA we started the evening of mingling with the cocktail of pain killers I'd consumed before going to bed in a weak attempt to ward of the impending hangover (well that failed). Made it to the top but damn it felt slow. Was debating puling the plug at that point and bombing back down Cactus, thought better of it and soldiered on.
Started feeling much better on the way across to the top of the Luge and by the time I got there I was pretty much back to normal. Got to say when you've only run down the Luge before on V-brakes hitting it with proper suspension and discs is a revelation! I was so much quicker that I nearly came unstuck a few times on corners and was catching air in places I never did on the Proflex! Definitely need to change the grips though, need a bigger diameter I think as the palms of my hands were feeling a bit beat up by the time I got to the bottom.
Cruised back up to 4 corners in Whiting before doing Cactus, Vulture View, Sage Scrub, Line Shack and Live Oak on the way out before heading home down the bikeway by El Toro
The Whyte got some funny resposnes! Passed a couple of guys on the way to the Luge that mentioned how cool it was, passed a guy on the way up to Vulture View whose words were literally "holy Sh!t" :Roflmao
Strava said I managed 25.45 miles and 3100ft, I was just glad to ride of a hangover :p
 
herzalot said:
LCWP Redux...

I changed the Firebird to the "high" setting before riding today. Steepens the head angle to 65.5 and the seat-tube angle 1/2 degree also. Raises the BB to a lofty 13.9". I liked the bike better in this setting for all-around trail riding.

Up Willow, but I had to do a derailleur adjustment after the first steep pitch. I guess the geo change also changes the effective chainstay length, which impacts derailleur settings a little. Got that sorted out and up I went. Once I got past the steepest section, I really started to notice how well this bike pedals. I pushed a much bigger gear than I normally would, and this on 29er wheels. Legs felt great. Bike felt great.

I wanted to do the exact same trails I did yesterday so I had a fresh comparison between the two geometries. But yesterday was only 2228' of climbing, so I decided to add a detour to Rattlesnake to do some more chunk testing. I had a bit of a struggle on Rattlesnake getting bounced off line a couple of times. When I got to the bottom, I noticed I had about 1.25" of the shock still unused. That's not right. Should use almost all of it on a run like that. Oh crap, I left the switch in the "trail" position. I called myself many choice names. Well, better push back up and try it again. I actually tried riding up the last bit of the trail, which is pretty challenging. I did better than I thought I would. At the top, I made sure the shock was full open, then went again. Good run, but still not as plush as I was expecting. Looked and still had about 3/4" of shock stanchion unused. I let out some air. I wonder if there are spacers in there? It seems extremely progressive.

Then back up to Lizard. Fun run on Lizard. I made sure to drop my hands to the inside more on the turns to take advantage of the edge of the tires. Better. That and the adjusted geometry. Very fun, but still not as plush as my Tracer. Still needs work.

Up under the 73 for a run down Camarillo. I was a bit smoother through the switchbacks and chunk today than yesterday, despite there being some traffic on the trail (they were out of the way). Fairly successful on the punchy climbs of Stagecoach.

So as I returned to the Willow lot, I had to assess whether or not I could make another trip up Willow to the top of the park for a run down T and A. It's about another 1000' and I was at nearly 2000' already - some of it very leg intensive. Oh what the hell. Rest a bit, then head up the hill. I made it to about 50 vertical feet short of the top of T and A when I cramped suddenly and thoroughly. I had to stop. Rest. Walk. Stop. Sit. Push. Stop. Got to the top and put on the elbow pads for the ride down.

Solid run down T and A. The slight adjustments to air pressure in the suspension helped a bit, as did the geometry, but as I was exiting the trees into the final descent, my legs were just about to seize. Rolled to a stop by the fence and there they go! Even the relatively flat road ride back to the car involved a stop for uncramping. God I hate me.

Great day on the bike. I really hope I can get the suspension dialed in without spending a ton of money. I did order a Luftkappe ($100). My experience with that device in my Tracer's Factory 36 was very positive. It really does smooth out the first 2-3" of travel. As many of you have said, the bike will become the new normal, and only if I take the Tracer back out will I discover if it's truly better, worse or too close to tell.

17.6 miles - 2917' Bikes are fun! :thumbsup: :cool: :)
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I'm guessing that last bit of travel that you're not tapping is designed to accommodate drops on a bike like that. Is anyone running a coil shock on the bike? I know you're looking for an economical route to bliss, but I had to think. A more linear shock (read: coil) might make the full range more useful and also soften the top. If the frame itself has enough progression, it could be an option. If plush is your goal, think about it. I have renewed coil stoke after the results we got from the tuned Bomber CR on the Pistola. Totally different bike, plush even at 130mm travel.

FWIW I'm not sure where I am in terms of stroke use on my coil shock lately. I've had a zip tie on the shaft in the past just to see. The shock is never the limiting factor for my setup/riding. The fork is overwhelmed before the shock. Probably less so with the new 150 in front. But I ride a lot like you, herz – no consistent airing out but plenty of fast/rough riding and some ruthless smashing a la Rattlesnake/T&A.
 
After more than a week off of the bike due to a cold, I finally felt good enough for a ride....enough said :inlove::inlove::inlove::inlove:

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San Juan out and back to Cocktail Rock with @mtnbikej and @TheProfessor on his new Yeti wonder bike. :thumbsup:

With the time change, it was dark before we reached the top. Nice temps out there... Fun run up and down. Well, it was fun for those who managed to stay on the bike and out of the weeds and rocks. :whistling:

12.6/2200
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New iPhone in the dark with no flash. :confused:
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Faust29 said:
San Juan out and back to Cocktail Rock with @mtnbikej and @TheProfessor on his new Yeti wonder bike. :thumbsup:

With the time change, it was dark before we reached the top. Nice temps out there... Fun run up and down. Well, it was fun for those who managed to stay on the bike and out of the weeds and rocks. :whistling:

12.6/2200
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New iPhone in the dark with no flash. :confused:
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After feeling like crap all last week, the schedule opened up and the Professor wanted to ride San Juan. Wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel.

We rolled at 4:00 in the shadows. We’d see the sun a little bit on the way up. Temps were very nice when we started. The Professor pushed the pace....might be new bike nirvana or the fact that he has a much harder gear to stay on top of. I just cruised, @Faust29 Brought up the rear.

we lost the last bit of daylight before the drop down to Sugarloaf. Lights up to Cocktail Rock.

Temps remained quite nice. Josh led the charge down. Me on his wheel, Steve no far behind....must have been his new eyeballs.

I did have a small tumble. I hit something and bounced my hand off the grip. Slow speed fall into a bush. A few scrapes.
We kinda cruised down. We didn’t attack it like we normally would. More being social I guess.
Super fun night in the bike.
 
Faust29 said:
San Juan out and back to Cocktail Rock with @mtnbikej and @TheProfessor on his new Yeti wonder bike. :thumbsup:

With the time change, it was dark before we reached the top. Nice temps out there... Fun run up and down. Well, it was fun for those who managed to stay on the bike and out of the weeds and rocks. :whistling:

12.6/2200
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New iPhone in the dark with no flash. :confused:
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Excellent photo set!!!!!! TFPU!


Tell that professor dood he's light for not showing up here. :)
 
I rode up Maple Springs today around 2 pm. The gnats were thick all the way up. I had a bug net but I'm to stubborn to use it. I spit out about 6-7 of them. The road up is real powdery. There were about 3 or 4 vehicles that either past me or came down from the other way- not to bad. I like ripping down the mountain with the lofty jumps but I was on my hardtail so I didn't get out of hand. No other mtn. bike riders to be seen. I rolled back to the truck just after sunset. It's time to start packing a jacket for cold weather. On the 2 lane road going back to the truck it is slightly downhill. My top speed was 36 mph. I had my tippy toes on the flats in hamster mode. I thought maybe I could do 30 but not 36. I was surprised. 22 mi. 3,375 elevation.

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Stkx66 said:
I rode up Maple Springs today around 2 pm. The gnats were thick all the way up. I had a bug net but I'm to stubborn to use it. I spit out about 6-7 of them. The road up is real powdery. There were about 3 or 4 vehicles that either past me or came down from the other way- not to bad. I like ripping down the mountain with the lofty jumps but I was on my hardtail so I didn't get out of hand. No other mtn. bike riders to be seen. I rolled back to the truck just after sunset. It's time to start packing a jacket for cold weather. On the 2 lane road going back to the truck it is slightly downhill. My top speed was 36 mph. I had my tippy toes on the flats in hamster mode. I thought maybe I could do 30 but not 36. I was surprised. 22 mi. 3,375 elevation.

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What kinda of seat do you have ??
 
scan said:
What kinda of seat do you have ??
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It an ISM PM 2.0. @Faust29 suggested I try this seat after I complained about numbing issues.( Thanks @Faust29 !) Originally I went down to a bike store in Irvine who had them on the shelf and rented one. I quickly after 2 rides returned it. I didn't like it. However my issues still remained so I gave it another try. I ordered one from Amazon. With this second try the lack of numbing outweighed the different feel of the saddle. On a ride a while back with Faust29, MtnbikeJ and the professor they noticed that I sit to much and suggested I should try to stand and pedal rather than winding out the 50 gear. When I bought my Chameleon it was real easy to stand more- to break things up. Now I stand and pedal a heck of a lot more combined with this ISM saddle issues gone. It took a while but I no longer notice the saddle anymore. I have the ISM PM 2.0 on all three of my bikes. Sorry for the long winded response-

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@DangerDirtyD chimed in late last night to ride at Sycamore canyon in Riverside. I thought he knew the trails like the back of his hand, but because of the "other" guys he rides with, they stick to the FR, double track trails. So I showed him some nice ST . CHICKEN NUGGETS ON NEW DIRT!!! Had a blast with another hooligan!!
 
Bomb Squad Chilao Invasion!
Silver Moccasin, Hilliard and Silver Moccasin! Chunk, flow, chunk! Huck it, roll it and climb it again. Josh took a little digger, Brett blew out a plug and Vince flatted 3 times! He also cleaned the wall twice! No proof though cuz he was just too far out in front! Great riders in the Squad last Sunday. Redwoods, Rossage, Grego, Trail Slayer, Brett, Josh and Sergio. Fun was had by all. Mac attack at Newcomes after.
Bbbbbaaaaallllz Baby!

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Went riding with @Faust29 today. Bell View and Caspers. I don't know the names of all the trails so I'll make some up...

First there was "Dude with a Busted Rear Derailleur" Hill. Then we rode along "Pretentious Community that Doesn't Want You to Ride Their Trails" Ridge. We dropped down into Caspers and rode "Sandyville Mcslipperystein" Trail through "Horse Apple" Valley. We climbed "This is the Steepest Hill on the Ride" Hill... about three times. Then we bombed down "Someone Needs to Teach the Guy with the Bulldozer How to Make Water Bars". We finished off with a final push to "I Always Give a Sigh of Relief When I Get to the Top of This" Hill. Quite a workout!

Fun ride hitting some new dirt. Definitely the place to go for interval training. When I could, I was trying to sprint up the hills and glide/rest on the backs. Good idea... for the first half of the ride. My legs were fried by the time we finished.

24.4 miles and 3xxx feet. Not sure what happened, but in the parking lot I could have sworn my computer was saying 3250 feet... but now that I'm home it is saying 3680 feet. Lies! I'll wait for Steve to post his results. Lot of ups and downs :)

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Oh I almost forgot... we also rode "This is the Hill That @UPSed Didn't Clean During Rwanda"... I didn't clean it either :)
 
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BonsaiNut said:
Went riding with @Faust29 today. Bell View and Caspers. I don't know the names of all the trails so I'll make some up...

First there was "Dude with a Busted Rear Derailleur" Hill. Then we rode along "Pretentious Community that Doesn't Want You to Ride Their Trails" Ridge. We dropped down into Caspers and rode "Sandyville Mcslipperystein" Trail through "Horse Apple" Valley. We climbed "This is the Steepest Hill on the Ride" Hill... about three times. Then we bombed down "Someone Needs to Teach the Guy with the Bulldozer How to Make Water Bars". We finished off with a final push to "I Always Give a Sigh of Relief When I Get to the Top of This" Hill. Quite a workout!

Fun ride hitting some new dirt. Definitely the place to go for interval training. When I could, I was trying to sprint up the hills and glide/rest on the backs. Good idea... for the first half of the ride. My legs were fried by the time we finished.

24.4 miles and 3xxx feet. Not sure what happened, but in the parking lot I could have sworn my computer was saying 3250 feet... but now that I'm home it is saying 3680 feet. Lies! I'll wait for Steve to post his results. Lot of ups and downs :)

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You got all the trail names right! :Roflmao:Roflmao:Roflmao At certain times of the year, we also ride "Soccer Mom who likes to trail run in a Bikini" ridge. :whistling: :p

I'm glad you came down for some new dirt. We did the vanilla version that Rwanda uses. Next time we'll dance on the wild side, and I'll show you all of the stuff that Rwanda avoids. :thumbsup:

I ended up with 25/3500... But for some reason I get different numbers every time I ride out there. I think your 3200 is probably more accurate.

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