I Rode My Bike Today...

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Today I had to take one last drop into the Snake Pit, and then found some off-menu dirt, a trail called Hustler that we'd ridden part of. I guess it was no dream – the Ranger is still incredible.

I was about scramble up to tag the Loaf summit but saw some bighorn up there, so decided to let them have it. Seconds later I spotted a family heading over the ridge; the little curious one just had to run back for one last look at me. :inlove:

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Hitting triple digits for the first time this year. Perfect time to peel out. :geek:
 
I let my daughter know I’d be riding 5D this morning, climbing the FR for the full loop...she said she was in! :D
She came to regret that decision about half way up the FR, but she didn’t back out and only complained a little :whistling:
Once at the top we rested and refueled. Now onto the DH, she did great, she’s much faster than I was as a newb which is cool, but I like to keep an eye on her. We finished the ride in the midday heat, but it wasn’t too bad.
I tell you what.... going that slow throughout the whole ride is incredibly taxing. I might as well have ridden twice the mileage and elevation. Is it just me or is it normal to feel that fatigued riding uber slow?
Great day out there. I’m not sure if she’ll do that ride again, but I’m happy to have had the experience with my middle “kid”:)

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konakc said:
Whiting loops x 2and then luge... wow.. fire road climb. At least luge is still same...accidentally went up to dreaded hill.. nice view.. will never do that again...fun fast easy day....
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A nice start. But you don't really know Dreaded unless you go up the front. Took me quite a few times until I could do it cleanly... and I think I have only done it three times.

The trail has to be tight. You have to be rested. Your mind needs to be in the right place. The first quarter mile you will be swearing at me with every pedal revolution. Then when you climb cleanly up to the bench you will see your ancestors. Or at least I did! :) And then you will have dominated Whiting.

At least... until you try to climb up to the Overlook :)
 
I rode today... with @SnakeCharmer . He didn't die! :thumbsup:

Pre-dawn start from JPL... Up Brown Mountain and down Ken Burton. Then... instead of turning left and heading back down, we hung a right on the Gabrielino and went up... and up... and up. Climbing through and out of the jungle that is the Gabrielino. All the way to Red box. Then down most of the front range trails. :thumbsup: I let the new bike run a little bit on some of Middle Merrill. It wants to go fast... probably because it's as long as a battleship. :laugh:

I'll consider it a win if I'm not covered in poison oak tomorrow...

38/6200

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mike said:
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Today I had to take one last drop into the Snake Pit, and then found some off-menu dirt, a trail called Hustler that we'd ridden part of. I guess it was no dream – the Ranger is still incredible.

I was about scramble up to tag the Loaf summit but saw some bighorn up there, so decided to let them have it. Seconds later I spotted a family heading over the ridge; the little curious one just had to run back for one last look at me. :inlove:

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Hitting triple digits for the first time this year. Perfect time to peel out. :geek:
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The green looks awesome against the desert browns. :thumbsup:
 
mountaingirl sara said:
I tell you what.... going that slow throughout the whole ride is incredibly taxing. I might as well have ridden twice the mileage and elevation. Is it just me or is it normal to feel that fatigued riding uber slow?
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Yes....to a point. Believe it or not you do expend more energy going slow....because it's not your normal pace. Takes more to keep balance at slow speeds. The bike reacts to the trail differently at slow speeds. All the bumps and rocks feel bigger when you aren't skipping over them.


I know I have been bashed over the years for my lack of willing to ride with beginners and newbs.....for this reason.



Buuuuutttttt......it's the sacrifice we make sometimes to ride with those that aren't as quick.
 
mountaingirl sara said:
I tell you what.... going that slow throughout the whole ride is incredibly taxing. I might as well have ridden twice the mileage and elevation. Is it just me or is it normal to feel that fatigued riding uber slow?
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Hmmm, and here I thought I was going slow because it was taxing - I didn't know it was the other way around! :confused:
Yet, somehow, I cannot go fast enough uphill to get into that "easy" zone that you must be referring to. :(

And I have to disagree with @mtnbikej - he does ride with slower riders, and he's very gracious about it. :thumbsup:

I DO agree with Jason that going faster over chunky terrain (in a harder gear) is ultimately easier than going slow - uphill and down.
 
mountaingirl sara said:
I tell you what.... going that slow throughout the whole ride is incredibly taxing. I might as well have ridden twice the mileage and elevation. Is it just me or is it normal to feel that fatigued riding uber slow?
Click to expand...
I think it is taxing. I wouldn’t know because I am slow and I’m fine with it. However, when @Faust lets me set the pace, I can hear him behind me sighing and grunting as though going slower than he is used to going is causing fatigue. :laugh:
 
Been quiet the past 5 months.... Due to a variety of circumstances, just couldn't put in a lot of time on the dirt. I think I had one actual mtb ride at Bonelli in that span.

Got up early today, still fueled by last night's spinach enchiladas, blue moon and ice cream cake. Dusted off the Fuse, and headed east. May 2 2020 was my first ride with the new bike, so I headed to Monroe truck trail, the same place a year later. Really wasn't sure how it would go, 5 months is a long break... But conditions were great. Light drizzle most of the way up, so I'm glad I grabbed my windbreaker. The climb was a steady grind, but felt like I hadn't missed any time away. Stopped for a breath I in the usual spots. Actually felt faster than usual... (I wasn't).

Very quick break at the fire road, then bombed back down. Apparently all that time off was good, because I set a new pr from top to bottom.

First ride since lasik, and it was great not to have watery dry eyes from my contacts drying out on the descent.

Thoughts on the Fuse a year in. Still in love with it.
I think a new pike and g2 rsc brakes would make it happy....

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