Who's Riding Where???

We'll be cheering you on from farther south. Glad you're riding, Erik. Hope to hit some ST when the time is right.

 

@Cougar and I are hitting 5-O, Cholla, Stairs, Willow, T and A, Up Stairs and Car Wreck at 7am Sunday July 16. Starting at Canyon Vistas. See you there!

EDIT:

Did that. Read the scintillating report here.

 

Last day of vacation. Gonna head over to Cheeseboro from home on the 29s. Going for saddle time today.

 

007 trail at 0700 tomorrow (Tuesday 7/18). Starting at the bottom of Central Camp Rd up as far as I can then turn around.

Unless the smoke that has just descended on us gets worse. Detwiler fire be gone!!!

 

I was talked into signing up for a race. I'll be throwing myself into the Crafts and Cranks Enduro at Big Bear, on July 21 and 22.

Here's the kicker: I haven't been riding much dirt at all in the past year, once a week since May, once a month since Oct. I haven't been to Snow Summit since the year they first opened the first 3 trails, and haven't donned a FF helmet in just as long (2 years ago?). I haven't had my car since May of last year, so I'm going to need to rely on a ride. I ride weekly with another who's planning on going, but have no backup plan. I haven't raced before. I haven't ridden the bike that I plan on using, my E29, for at least a year. I still have trauma from jumping (drops are ok) and somehow unlearned how to ride berms (from so much practice doing flat turns). I signed up for Pro, just cuz... Expert.

So far I have a set of wheels sealing up now. And a fresh CCDB Inline for the rear. And am swapping back in my "low rider" stem and handlebar back onto the bike to hopefully get a more familiar position. Been riding my ROS9 and SB5c in the meanwhile, with a Ripley and Thunderbolt retired since. Planning on putting the rest of the few days on the E29 to adjust and go by feel.

Here's my attitude: I'll be trying my best. Seriously. I don't want to get a last place in the class, nor a DNF. I actually want to surprise myself. Friends say I have the skill, but I lack the experience and know my fitness won't match up to anyone that rides more than I do (I commute 25 minutes by bike 4 days a week). On the bright side, I get a lot of practice riding trails without studying all the lines from sessioning... looking to learn, but don't want to use that as an excuse for a bad result. It's more like making me wonder if I should weigh myself down with a GoPro setup or not (leaning on yes). I am trying to cram in all the preparation I can.

 

^ Wishing you the best of luck. Believing in yourself is most of the battle.

 

Doesn't sound like a good idea Varax, my 2 cents.

 

Hmm, I saw Ryan Gardner and Evan Turpen, but I see now that a few others registered Pro after I did: Mike Day, Cole Picchiottino, BRIAN LOPES... okay okay, I'll be humble

I'm not planning on going any easier in Expert, just less likely to learn as much. Exp and Pro both start together anyways. Was imagining trying to hang with a pro's pace.

 

Go, @Varaxis! I think you could take the class. And if not, doing something ridiculous now and again is good for a person.

 

Good luck @Varaxis I don't know if it's hubris, cockiness, stubbornness, or just plain insanity, but go for it. Don't be too disappointed if the guys (and gals) who do this for a living show you why, and please don't injure yourself trying to get your body to cash a check your mind writes.

But hey, go big or go home, right? You got this, Dan!

 

Amen brothah!

@Varaxis, show up as if you own the joint. Try and plan for your mind to be in a good place that weekend (i.e., be happy). Do not worry about your fitness because commuting definitely helps. Try to spend at least one night before the race at high elevation to acclimate. Also what I find goes a long way is warning your competition that you are IN IT TO WIN IT! Try telling Lopes or Gardner that they might as well pack it up and go home now, but you gotta open your eyes really wide and kinda lift your chin when you say that so they know you mean business.

 

More Santa Anas depletion training is on deck... because we can! I'm looking at @Cornholio and @littlewave ...

A bit less warm this WE. Either weekend day works. Let's hit a real dawn patrol... early mornings are epic; have the entire day afterward for domestic bliss.

We can re-run the Jims (cuz you guys know you want it) or head over to Yeager Mesa or Trabuco Creek. Commitment index: Jims 3, TC 2+, YM 4. These all can be done in under 15 miles from the parking area. If six extra miles of Pain Divide floats your boat, we can ascend HJ and drop TC or YM. If 4.5 extra miles (one way) of dusty road is good with you, park at the Wash and pedal up. YM includes summit of Los Piños Peak...great views with a summit register, no motors. Reversal bail optional on all three, leisurely pace.

 

Climbing LHJ was fun!

Reminded me of Upper Winter Creek trail in the San Gabes and Gridley in Ojai.

 

Hah, I've referred to it as a mini-Gridley to my Ojai bro

 

Don't worry, I've been prepping mentally by watching my PoV footage at 2x (inside joke).

 

Skills wise, you'll do fine @Varaxis. Pedal performance will be hard to match the pros, but you'll probably be around average (I'm guessing) compared to expert. Last time I ran SS all the jumps were no bigger then what we hit at Sycamore, or were tables. I did it on a loaner BMC Hardtail XC bike. I was actually considering racing my HT if I couldn't come up with a bike. But I didn't know it was a two day affair, I can't go Friday (really bummed, 5 stages would be cool).

Biggest disadvantage you'll have is course knowledge. You'll get destroyed by the regulars up there. You can't compare yourself to those guys, just isn't a fair mental game.

I'd pick the bike you're most comfortable on of your want fast.

We can do a DV prep night tomorrow. Get your head in the game if you want. Hit some stuff that will most simulate the event (Vortex, Rattlesnake, Smokey, etc) and maybe a few Plunge runs.

Just turn off your evaluation part of the brain come actual race time. You can't go back and fix mistakes after the clock starts.

 

I'm going to ride El Prieto today at 11am - anyone want to join??

 

@mike

Just got handed some extra responsibility at work that may preclude me from attending any shenanigans on two wheels this weekend.

 

I am on hiatus from riding for the foreseeable future..

 

That sounds ominous. I hope it's less semi-permanent than it sounds!

 

@littlewave and @Cornholio, thanks for the heads up. I hope you can get back to the spokes ASAP. Summer around here is a good time to be distracted, so clear yer decks, maties Corn, I hope the forecast isn't too grim...power on.

 

Not-like... PM sent.

 

Family re-onion this weekend. No riding. @Cornholio I do not like the sound of your post. I hope you and your family are OK.

 

Sunday morning JPL to Inspiration point. I'll post up details when I get a chance.

 

I think this qualifies as "late notice." But also a plea for help...I've obtained a hall pass for tomorrow but don't have a destination in mind. ???

MTT? B*-Motorway?/MS-Motorway? Somebody hep me!

 

I hope it was worthy! Second thought, I just hope it was.

 

Yeager Mesa in the AM.

It's been at least a week since I slid out, so I'm heading up Trabuco to Yeager to connect with discontrol. Super early, super short ride on semi steep dirt. It'll be over before I realize it happened. Beer by 8:30am is the main goal.

No, you cannot go. Only I can. There...no excuse needed


PS: If you coincidentally planned to ride Yeager tomorrow I'll consider riding with you. (There's your in ).

 

Lol, I used to talk about hiking to YM before I got back into riding. One day...

As I mentioned before I have no plans to ride anytime soon. I explained this to herz in a PM but since others have asked (thank you, btw) I am fine as is my family. I just have way too much going on at work and home so my riding has been more frustrating than enjoyable lately. I feel like I am racing a clock just to squeeze rides in and it's not what I signed up for when I decided to ride again 5 years ago.

Going to get my ducks in a row and if riding opportunities present themselves then I will pedal. Problem is you can't just throw a leg over the bike and join in on big rides when you aren't on it so my solo riding life is just the reality for awhile. Flaking is not something I want to be known for so I won't be taking that route.

Maybe I should have started a "I ain't gonna ride nowhere" thread! Back to the regular scheduled programming...

 

Thanks for the share, @Cornholio.

Summer is a great time for this to happen. Unless you live at the beach (and sometimes, despite), it takes so much more energy to stay engaged with MTB.

Stoked that your work is pumping....ultimately, that's what gets us on the trail. Hang in there until then.

BTW, hiking to YM sounds classy and super unique. Ring the bell and all. Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!


If yer in the drainage, listen up...I'll be ringin hellzbellz

 

A ride happened, but it was nothing like the hopes above.