Tight trails & tacky dirt - '16 NE thread

[strawjack]

Some Maddox, 5 gallon buckets, and spade shovels. Look up hill for material, get down to the mineral dirt and run the bucked brigade! Once you get through the roots there's always dirt in the woods. Wait until it's too wet to ride and you will have dirt that packs nicely. Fill with rocks in the beginning if you have them but make sure they are covered deep. Smash them with a hammer down to 2" chuncks and they will settle in better. It takes a lot of material. Way more than you would think. Many hands make light work.

What is Maddox? We have material close by in this one spot...which is nice! But many hands is not in the cards. A lot of people like to ride, but very few like to contribute to the build. Oh well. I actually enjoy the build almost as much as the ride. Maybe it's the fact of being able to ride it afterwards...for years to come...is why I enjoy the build so much.

[Flea]

I actually enjoy the build almost as much as the ride. Maybe it's the fact of being able to ride it afterwards...for years to come...is why I enjoy the build so much.

Yup. 25+ years ago if we wanted to ride we had to create our own trail. Some trail was available at the time but now there's WAY more .

I couldn't imagine just riding and not doing both. Been at it so long. Did a bit of maintenance today, well rode a bunch too, and scoped a new zone for future trail.

[Generalstark]

I had to be up north for work today so I rode an obscure public network that sees little traffic despite the quality trails, some of which are pro built ( no machines) and there is even a pump track. Such a perfect day for riding. I love September.

[Flea]

Haha, thanks dudes!

Ended up crashing three times on the second stage like a goon. Going fast isn't always the best way to win apparently. Tried to rally for stages three and four but was too tired to keep pushing it for stage 5. Ended up in 17th for the day, probably would have been 8ish had I not tried to run down a photographer on the side of the track. Put me into 7th for the season, which I am beyond stoked about!

I'm in the 30-39 class next year, kinda nervous, lot of real fast dudes in there, gonna be interesting to see where things shake out!

Pedaling out of berms, very enduro:
Attachment 187634

Sideshow Bob is a new flow trail, and oh wow, it is hysterically fast and fun:
Attachment 187635

Looks like a fully rigid 29er with 30psi in the tires would be the ticket on those roads^^^^^

Congrats on a great season!

[Vt-Freeheel]

What is Maddox?

Likely a spelling mistake.

[gravitylover]

Nice sounds just like aggy. Pretty much no smooth even trail anywhere. Rocks and roots. Good stuff.

There's some smooth stuff but not much, just enough to wipe the sweat and grab a drink.

General, where's that? Looks great...

I can't wait to get my car back from the body shop at the end of next week so I can get back on the road and ride new and different spots.

[Flea]

There's some smooth stuff but not much, just enough to wipe the sweat and grab a drink

Cool. I pretty much have to stop to grab bottle on the local trails here. There is one short stretch that i can do it rolling if i remember. Sometimes i just don't drink anything if it's under an hour and a half ride. Here's a trail i've been riding in that we didn't make it to that night. Fatbikes make way better trail building tools than trail building tools. Just clear the big stuff out of the way and start riding it till it's packed in.

[JerseyDave]

Likely a spelling mistake.

Yup. Mattocks. GS, Hard'ack? One more thing, compact as you add material, don't wait until the end.

[Generalstark]

^^^ Yep. Hard to sneak one by you...

[JerseyDave]

^^^ Yep. Hard to sneak one by you...

Built the pump track with Sinuosity. Neat town spot. Bet they have some nice locals only pow days there.
Berm Porn. Shaping dirt is fun. Roosting berms is also fun. Beginner trails at NU...linked berms rock!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmhHKNmKP0Y

[strawjack]

Likely a spelling mistake.

Ahh, I actually have one of those that appeared out of nowhere. The head is loose so it's a little sketchy. I always called it an adze thingy. That was my technical term.

Fatbikes make way better trail building tools than trail building tools. Just clear the big stuff out of the way and start riding it till it's packed in.

Fatbikes suck for packing it in. Take a lap poser builder.

[biggins]

Attachment 187635

Attack stance!

[Flea]

Another perfect ride day today. Stratham Alps delivers. The pre work rip spot. Rode a brand new trail called "Cindy Lopper" due to the ton of Lopping it took to clear the mile long section of trail. They did it right. Lopped and no raking, just riding it in.

[JerseyDave]

Another perfect ride day today. Stratham Alps delivers. The pre work rip spot. Rode a brand new trail called "Cindy Lopper" due to the ton of Lopping it took to clear the mile long section of trail. They did it right. Lopped and no raking, just riding it in.

Bike tires make the best trails. Just a fact. Anything else is just a product.

[JerseyDave]

Cool. I pretty much have to stop to grab bottle on the local trails here. There is one short stretch that i can do it rolling if i remember. Sometimes i just don't drink anything if it's under an hour and a half ride. Here's a trail i've been riding in that we didn't make it to that night. Fatbikes make way better trail building tools than trail building tools. Just clear the big stuff out of the way and start riding it till it's packed in.

That is the shitty-est stone wall I have ever seen. Nice Loam though.

[Flea]

Bike tires make the best trails. Just a fact. Anything else is just a product.

Yup. The amount of trail i built in 6 months before the baby popped out woulda taken IMBA or NEMBA like 3 years with a 10 man crew laboring with those silly polaskis (sp?), pick axes, and shovels. During those 6 months wifey was all like, "I know you've been riding every day, but your rides seem a bit longer than normal". I then told her that since we have a baby on the way and time will be tighter than usual, i needed to build an hour plus full singletrack loop near the house. Gawddam has it been clutch. Surf a mile away in one direction, and a badass bitch of an hour plus singletrack loop starting a 1/4 mile the other way. Hour for me and an hour and a half if i take a friend . It's a frickin Ab workout to be sure. More to be added soon. Clip clip clip and ride ride ride em in. Quick easy work.

[Flea]

That is the shitty-est stone wall I have ever seen. Nice Loam though.

Maine is a different animal than VT. Maine isn't into aesthetics, unlike VT. That wall was as i found it. I just put the trail where there was a natural low spot in the wall. Ya we got good loam here. I could ride while it's pouring rain after it't poured rain for days and still no mud. Trail route choice is key tho. The trick to trail building is to build during wet season so you know where any trouble spots might be. Spring, right after the snow melts and ground thaws is best build time, IMO.

[gravitylover]

Surf a mile away in one direction, and a badass bitch of an hour plus singletrack loop starting a 1/4 mile the other way. Hour for me and an hour and a half if i take a friend . It's a frickin Ab workout to be sure.

Hey! I tried, it was dark :": Yeah it's a fkn workout alright.

[Flea]

Hey! I tried, it was dark :": Yeah it's a fkn workout alright.

You did great! It is hard tho, especially if you're not pussy footing around. If you keep the pressure on it's like one big long chunky techy climb with no breaks. Well actually if it were one long climb it would be quite easy as you could settle in, so scratch that. It's just hard. Like a herd of little people yanking at each one of your limbs while you try to make forward progress . So when you coming back?

[Generalstark]

Another taco night ride in the Mrv! So good.

[Flea]

Gawds country^^^^^^^must get back up there.

[gravitylover]

You did great! It is hard tho, especially if you're not pussy footing around. If you keep the pressure on it's like one big long chunky techy climb with no breaks. Well actually if it were one long climb it would be quite easy as you could settle in, so scratch that. It's just hard. Like a herd of little people yanking at each one of your limbs while you try to make forward progress . So when you coming back?

I was so wiped. Need to try it in the daylight.

Hoping for the last week of the month. My car is in the body shop until at least the middle of next week and I have no way to take my bike with me with the rental car they gave me.

Dave - I noticed a lot of ratty stone walls up there. I think they just piled the rocks up to get them out of the way when they tried to turn areas into farm fields.

[Flea]

I was so wiped. Need to try it in the daylight.

Hoping for the last week of the month. My car is in the body shop until at least the middle of next week and I have no way to take my bike with me with the rental car they gave me.

Dave - I noticed a lot of ratty stone walls up there. I think they just piled the rocks up to get them out of the way when they tried to turn areas into farm fields.

Keep us posted. Gravel grinding tomorrow. Yay!

[strawjack]

The trick to trail building is to build during wet season so you know where any trouble spots might be. Spring, right after the snow melts and ground thaws is best build time, IMO.

Nice listening skilz there grasshopper.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Leaf drop is starting