19 NE - It's all up from here

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Originally Posted by Vt-Freeheel

We also spent some time Sunday discussing The Ranger. Butta, Biggins and myself are returning and looking at some Mags to join us. Peruvian, you know you want to! And expect to see Train07 there as well.
There will be whiskey and beer along with Tacos and Pizza and a couple of good bands. The Valleys around Tunbridge are really beautiful and have an old Vermont feel to them. But they are unmercifully steep.

Let's Party!

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Yeah 36 miles is nothing to sneeze at given the climbing and the class IV roads but I was getting slightly excited about tweaking the old frame appropriately ..until I did a short section of class IV yesterday...yeah it ain't happening...unless I actually did weld the shock absorbers from the old suby The 18 miler on gravel is doable with the bike set up as is but any further excitement was dashed when informed I'll be at a wedding on June 9th...
Sounds like it'd be a great event though...

It looks like Plattekill will be adding a few more weekends of lift served riding than they had last year. I was up there yesterday trying to get Laszlo to update his rental/demo fleet and the crew was busy all over the hill getting the place ready to open in a few weeks.

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Originally Posted by From_the_NEK

Well the Darling Hill KT's opened this past weekend even though most everything still has a serious case of damp.

In the meantime I sold my 15y.o. mountain bike at the local bike swap. Now I have nothing to ride. The bike swap didn't have anything that fit my tall ass (I'm 6'4"). So now I'm in the market for a XL framed 29'r. Since I've kind of been out of riding for the last 7-8 years I've kind of lost track of what brands/models are good for someone my size. I'm getting back into now that my kids are old enough to ride the trails. Any of you have any recommendations for east coast style trails (since I'm next door to the KT's I'll likely be riding around there the most)?

Restrictions: I'd like to not have to choose between paying my mortgage and paying for a bike. :smile:

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Buy used. For kt, a good hardtail or shorter travel fs bike will work well. Not many bad 29’ers built in the past 4-5 years, anything you buy that’s 2014 or newer will be orders of magnitude better than what you were on. Should be able to get a good hardtail under $700 used, a nice fully will run you $1000-1200 for something decent.

Where's the rain/snow line by you today? I have rain here in the LHV but it looks like it's about 1500 feet across the river in the Catskills. It's really coming down from mid mountain up at Hunter Mt and sticking all the way down to the base at Plattekill on their webcams.

As of now it looks like the only dry day this week might be Wednesday :( Damn, looks like my thread title might have been too optimistic.

https://www.plattekill.com/webcams/

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Originally Posted by handlebarsfsr

Buy used. For kt, a good hardtail or shorter travel fs bike will work well. Not many bad 29’ers built in the past 4-5 years, anything you buy that’s 2014 or newer will be orders of magnitude better than what you were on. Should be able to get a good hardtail under $700 used, a nice fully will run you $1000-1200 for something decent.

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I grabbed my wife a left over Kona 29er from a shop for 1400 a few years ago. I ride it sometimes if I'm going for a long tour. I find it to be fun and adequate. OK forks, hydro brakes. Fun bike. You get a lot for your money at the solid entry level HT price point. With a little deal new gear is doable. Nothing like that new bike smell...

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Originally Posted by DaveVt

I grabbed my wife a left over Kona 29er from a shop for 1400 a few years ago. I ride it sometimes if I'm going for a long tour. I find it to be fun and adequate. OK forks, hydro brakes. Fun bike. You get a lot for your money at the solid entry level HT price point. With a little deal new gear is doable. Nothing like that new bike smell...

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I just did the exact same for my wife over the weekend - she picked up a mid-level 29er Scott scale hardtail for around $1k. Real nice parts for the $ - NX Eagle, Shimano hdyros, RS air fork, Maxxis tires, only 27 lbs.

We all get so caught up in $5k carbon bikes, you forget that $1,000-$1,500 still gets you a new, light, trail worthy bike.

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Originally Posted by HankScorpio

We all get so caught up in $5k carbon bikes, you forget that $1,000-$1,500 still gets you a new, light, trail worthy bike.

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More so now than ever with geo and 29" wheels.

It really is amazing how nice a $1200 bike can be, especially if it can handle 3" tires. I have a super nice Norco Sight A1 but still take my good ol' steel hardtail out most of the time. Anybody looking for a deal on a medium long travel trail bike with less than 15 miles on it?

Have to ask a question, and I just hope it doesn’t burn this place to ground:

What’s the deal with uphill rider having the right of way on the east coast? Anywhere really, but specially the mid-Atlantic. I grew up in these parts, Then lived/rode in CO for 8 years now back here, and it seems like the etiquette of the trails here is roughly: do whatever the fuck you want and whoever is having more fun has the right of way...

I’ve always been a strong proponent of Uphill rider has the right of way, perhaps from having my formative MTB years in CO, but now that I ride in the NE, am I the asshole? Well ok I’m the asshole regardless of this topic but downhill rider right away seems like a sure fire way to get everyone killed.

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Originally Posted by volklpowdermaniac

Have to ask a question, and I just hope it doesn’t burn this place to ground:

What’s the deal with uphill rider having the right of way on the east coast? Anywhere really, but specially the mid-Atlantic. I grew up in these parts, Then lived/rode in CO for 8 years now back here, and it seems like the etiquette of the trails here is roughly: do whatever the fuck you want and whoever is having more fun has the right of way...

I’ve always been a strong proponent of Uphill rider has the right of way, perhaps from having my formative MTB years in CO, but now that I ride in the NE, am I the asshole? Well ok I’m the asshole regardless of this topic but downhill rider right away seems like a sure fire way to get everyone killed.

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20 years riding in Vt I have never had a problem with ROW on the trails. Of course I avoid the shit shows of Stowe, KT, WATA, ect. ROW rules....don't run into anyone. Be nice, look out for each other.

I prefer giving the downhill rider the ROW, it’s easier for all involved. Never understood why the uphill rider should have the ROW.

Every uphill rider I’ve come across at KTA has stopped for the downhill rider. Gives them an excuse to catch their breath and they can stop more quickly than the downhill rider.

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Originally Posted by Peruvian

Every uphill rider I’ve come across at KTA has stopped for the downhill rider. Gives them an excuse to catch their breath and they can stop more quickly than the downhill rider.

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At KT the rules are downhill rider has right of way. I’ve always preferred that way anyway.

I ride a lot of directional and or empty trails, so rarely see anyone. Most riders yield to uphill traffic unless it's a group like the shop ride, then it becomes mob rule and you're expected to get out of the way or get ragged on/run over.



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Originally Posted by buttahflake

I prefer giving the downhill rider the ROW, it’s easier for all involved. Never understood why the uphill rider should have the ROW.

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I get it...it's easier for the DH guy to regain momentum. BUT, I always yield to the DH guy (and hope for the same) b/c who wants to ruin someone's fun...and going up isn't the fun part.

Also, around here, most hikers yield to bikes. I guess the theory is: it's easier for them to take one step off to the side than for the bike to do the same. I appreciate that.

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Originally Posted by smartyiak

I get it...it's easier for the DH guy to regain momentum. BUT, I always yield to the DH guy (and hope for the same) b/c who wants to ruin someone's fun...and going up isn't the fun part.

Also, around here, most hikers yield to bikes. I guess the theory is: it's easier for them to take one step off to the side than for the bike to do the same. I appreciate that.

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Did I not say I prefer the downhill rider getting the right of way?
How baked are you right now?

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Originally Posted by buttahflake

Did I not say I prefer the downhill rider getting the right of way?
How baked are you right now?

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Yes..I can read. I get why the "rule" is uphill has ROW, I just disagree with it.

I was just agreeing with you...how baked are you right now???r

If it's a steep techy section the uphill deserves row, because stopping and restarting sucks and you'll end up walking it. And I don't care about your brobrah Kom downhill shite. There are down only trails for that. Generally it's a feel-common sense thing. I've pulled over plenty on the up and the down. And yeah, just don't be an asshole...ya know, like a roadie.

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Originally Posted by jackstraw

And yeah, just don't be an asshole...ya know, like a roadie.

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Or a snowboarder
Laps

One of my pet peeves has always been huge groups monopolizing the right of way regardless of going up or down. I know KT asks to keep groups to six or less but I see huge groups there often that all assume this “get out of our way” mentality.

It’s the reason I ride at dawn on days that will be busy.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

That sign above should also include trail runners, they're some of the most offensive trail users around. They just plow right through whoever is on the trail with a nasty look if you don't get out of their way so they can move through smoothly. I've been doing a lot of hiking since my heart attack and my wife and I have been forced off the trails so many times it's not even funny. They come from behind and scream "MOVE" or they freak out as they get to us if we haven't already.

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Originally Posted by buttahflake

I prefer giving the downhill rider the ROW, it’s easier for all involved. Never understood why the uphill rider should have the ROW.

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Every now and then through a techy or rocky section the uphill rider needs to keep pedaling or lose it and have to walk but generally I agree with you that dh should have the ROW.

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Originally Posted by Peruvian

Every uphill rider I’ve come across at KTA has stopped for the downhill rider. Gives them an excuse to catch their breath and they can stop more quickly than the downhill rider.

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I've been saying this for years and was thrilled when they made it that dh has the ROW.

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Originally Posted by smartyiak

I get it...it's easier for the DH guy to regain momentum. BUT, I always yield to the DH guy (and hope for the same) b/c who wants to ruin someone's fun...and going up isn't the fun part.

Also, around here, most hikers yield to bikes. I guess the theory is: it's easier for them to take one step off to the side than for the bike to do the same. I appreciate that.

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Sometimes it's not about regaining momentum. Stopping when you're cruising downhill can be difficult or even dangerous if you have to point it off the trail which has happened to me and my friends too often the last few years. Some of these people or their dogs are just dumb as shit and freeze right in the middle of the trail when they see a bike leaving you very few options. No there aren't any one way dh trails anywhere in the area to choose.

Most hikers are pretty understanding and do step off but I give them a pass if it's a sketchy spot to do that for whatever reason.

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Originally Posted by jackstraw

If it's a steep techy section the uphill deserves row, because stopping and restarting sucks and you'll end up walking it. And I don't care about your brobrah Kom downhill shite. There are down only trails for that. Generally it's a feel-common sense thing. I've pulled over plenty on the up and the down. And yeah, just don't be an asshole...ya know, like a roadie.

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So close...I was saying Amen right until the end.

When I started riding in the woods I was taught that uphill has the ROW, but maybe thats cuz of all the tech trails here in Western Mass. Maybe just who I learned shit from though?

Yeah maybe I’m just the asshole, guess I have to stop being butthurt about having to stop while climbing, oh well, I’ll find other stuff to be butthurt about in no time

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Originally Posted by snowday

So close...I was saying Amen right until the end.

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Well, that's good because I don't like the bible thumpin' stuff. :)

Roadies, as a group, in general, are assholes.