Hi Rog
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Hi Rog
You're not kidding, perfect weather today!
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Anyone doing the Wicked Ride next Sunday?
I'm no longer local, so I won't make it, but for those thinking about it- It's a very good time. Take a novice or newby and send them off on a skills clinic ride. Then join the Diesel ride and get your gnar on. Then eat chili. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday. Love Harold Parker (even though it always manages to rough me up).
It's a big event, so lots of people, but that kind of makes it perfect for a first timer to HP. There's a decent amount of variety to the terrain there, though the majority is chunk-chunk-chunky. Flow is there, but you'll be well served to get in a group ride and learn the place on the wheel of someone who knows. It's a fun vibe for sure though- a lot of folk's season swan song, so spirits are high and group rides are positive affairs. I rode at the Wicked Ride once in the cold rain with a gaping hole in my knee (love you Harold Parker) and still had maybe one of the best rides of my life. Get there on the early side for parking.
Did another under the radar exploratory mission yesterday. It's amazing when you realize that you drive within 50 feet of some beautiful trails and have no idea that they're there. Miles and miles of 50+ year old Jeep track and farm roads grown in to 3 foot wide chunderfests :eek: Actually I bet they're fantastic surfaces when it's somewhat damp, right now it's just so dry that it got to be like kitty litter and the rocks were so loose in the ground they would come out and roll down the hill if you looked at them wrong. There is close to 20 miles of trails in this zone that connects to another 20+ that I started exploring last week and another 30+ that I'll get to soon enough. What a huge potential this area has that very few people have a clue about. Next time you're driving on the Taconic Parkway just south of Rt 301 is a veritable playground that spans both sides of the road with trails literally 50 feet from the pavement in some spots. but the stuff a few miles in is where the fun really is.
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Another summer like day until I turned a corner about 75 minutes in and found a bike in the middle of the trail and a bro sitting on the side in pain. Hitting a tree sux. Ride ended while gaining karma points by escorting the dude out to the lot.
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HP is a really fun fairly extensive classic north shore riding destination with a good mix of tech, non tech, with rolling hills and not much in the way of elevation change. Some good punchy climbs tho.
If you usually ride solo and are happy riding solo then you very well may be in for a rude awakening. The Wicked ride is a shitshow to be honest. Throw 600 plus riders on a techy slowish (for most riders) mostly single loop route and you'll feel like you are stuck in bad Boston rush hour traffic at many points along the way. Not a good way to experience what HP has to offer on your 1st go.Quote:
Since I usually ride solo, I’m not sure if I’ll dig the vibe or not. Seems like it’s rad.
My advice would be to get there and be riding no later than 730am as the loop will be marked the afternoon before, enjoy an uncluttered HP then get back to enjoy the festivities and maybe head out with a group or for a skills clinic later on. Or if you can swing it go ride there the afternoon before after the route is marked. Beware, if you start riding late morning, by the time you get done, much of the good grub may be gone.
Enjoy.
Haha as I hit reply I was thinking that. Thanks for pointing it out though Jong ;)
Anyone going to be in east central NY in the morning? Gonna hit a couple of loops at Beebe Hill hopefully around 11 or so. Then my daughters want to go for a KT ride with dad so I'm going to buzz up there on Monday. If anyone is around let me know so we can coordinate.
Damn it is dry out there. All the usual seasonal stream are dry and the soil is rock hard. Lots of leaves down already but mostly maples so the traction isn't too murderous. Beech and oak are starting to turn so it should be slick soon. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...188f03673d.jpg
^^ RE: About to get slick - Yup a few days of wet rainy weather incoming ought to do it. Yeah buddy it sure is dry out there, hardpan, dusty, crunchy and fluffy leaves but the air has been great and the bugs have pretty much been a non issue.
Riding conditions and weather gets no better than this time of year imo. Lots of leaves coming down and padding the chunk some. Riding your regular haunts daily ensures amazing narrowly tamped down ribbons of gold.
This morning was pure bliss on the trail less traveled.
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Looks flat and boring Rog, take a lap.
Rode over to Surry Dam to check out some CX action. Meh, kind of lame. All the tape and slow speed corners and whatnot.
Came home and rode into the garage and grabbed my MTB. And scored the freshly blown!
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Finally took apart and lubed up the fork and shock this past week.. suspension was buttah today. A shop dude who busted his arm had blown most of the trails at Blackstrap which was nice!
Did the trail fairy thing for the first time in way too long...
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Flows way better but now tempting to carry a lot of speed.... trying to figure out how you could
Use the next two turns to kill some speed as it's a little flatter. Good times!
That's au natural, dick head, no machines evah. Must suck to live where it's both, bony and flat. Are there any corners in your world, or is it all dead straight, game trail?
Laps, take some.
Another kick ass day in the books but starting to jones for some flakes.https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4470/...58e98eca_c.jpg
^^^^^^^looks great! Western Mass?