17 NE - Get out and ride thread

[Anospa]

Fuck fucking "flow" trail in the ass and keep that shit at KT or wherever else brown sidewalks are welcome. /rant.

I'll be back with some trail Intel later on tonite ��

Well, considering the fact that it looked pretty high speed, pretty steep berms and some sweet looking jumps and step downs, I'd say you're gonna be out of your element a bit.

Generalizing flow trails is a pretty shitty viewpoint, there are some really awesome trails out there that some people would call "flow"

[scrublover]

I'm trying to plan a 3-4 day mtb road trip for next spring. I normally ride trails that are a rocky, rooty, techy mess. Vert is rolling, no big climbs or descents. They're a lot of fun and I like finding similar stuff but I also like finding stuff that's totally different. Probably planning on either one 3 to 4 hour ride or two 90 minute-ish rides a day.

I will say that routes featuring lots of unmarked unmapped trail are not my favorite. I'm not the worst at route-finding but I don't like having to stop at every intersection or fork in the trail to play detective. If that means missing out on some of the goods, that's fine.

Similar stuff by me (down in danbury) to what you've got. I got up to ride in your area a couple years back, and felt really at home.

I do the same thing, a couple 3-5 day mini-trips a year. I try to hit a different spot each day, and mix in a lift day if possible! Getting a local beer-bribed guide for those kinds of networks is key, IMO. Let's you ride without having to do the map shuffle.

[JerseyDave]

Well, considering the fact that it looked pretty high speed, pretty steep berms and some sweet looking jumps and step downs, I'd say you're gonna be out of your element a bit.

Generalizing flow trails is a pretty shitty viewpoint, there are some really awesome trails out there that some people would call "flow"

I agree with this. If you have a bunch of old school stuff it's nice to mix in some "Flow" (More buff high speed trail with built jumps and berms to keep speeds up, however it's built).

That said, over sanitized excavator built trail with redundant features, table tops and straight airs is fucking boring no matter how fast you go. Even with flow trails, it's the irregularities and diversity that makes it, while the lack of features that require input, or the same type of corner or feature over and over on over-built trails breaks the sense of flow.

I'll never forget when Florence just opened, the SMBC president who had never jumped in his life came down to us where we were finishing up Snake, and exclaimed, "Even I jumped!" I wondered if that was the point. I rode that trail in it's stages of construction and there is no doubt it is a well built trail, and pretty, but it's certainly not on my list of "Great Trails" around here.

It seems trails like that make people feel like advanced riders because they are going fast and their tires leave the ground for moments at a time. They significantly lower the bar in terms of skills needed to ride fast. The real value of those trail is for beginners looking to become low intermediates, or young children cutting their teeth.

[gravitylover]

^^Hmm sounds like most lift served DH parks with trails built over the last few years. They all have the same flavor and make you feel good for a bit but get old by lunchtime.

[Anospa]

Fortunately for that trail, the top half is fairly natural with plenty of fun off camber sweeping turns. Trails need variety to be fun!

[HankScorpio]

Flow tails are a blast in small doses. But I'd be bored to tears if I had to ride flow trails every ride. I think of Perry Hill as being a prime example of where a flow trail is a good idea. Your get your ass kicked getting thrown down steep, rooty natural trails and then you end your day with a mindless run down a flow trail to the parking lot and then you drink a whole lotta beer.

I'll agree they do lower the bar for riders so expect to get stuck behind beginners when you're on Florence, Jester or any of those type of trails. I've come avoid many flow trails, not because they're boring, but the usually get clogged up with brake-draggers and ain't nothing "flowy" about that.

[scrublover]

It's why I like Thunder Mtn. so much.

My flow-loving buddies can go hit up Gronk and Hawleywood while I'm on Juggernaut, Schist, and Badger. We split the difference on some of their stuff that is a blend. That said, I'm no jumpy guy - not my forte or preference, but doing laps on Gronk has certainly made me a better jumper than I was before.

The local builders around me have it tough. So much fucking rock, building what most would consider a "flow" trail is not easy. We also lack much vert to work with, but we manage.

[MrMan]

So much fucking rock? Can never have too much rock. Rock has staying power and doesn't wear out.

As far as my opposition to this whole flow trail revolution is more of what it represents and how it's changed natural rake n ride or hand built trail far and wide. Do I have fun on machine built brown sidewalk? Sure, like many of you in small doses. Riding bikes is fun in general.

My opposition to flow trails as we know much of them is that it has created an expectation of how a MTB trail should ride and what it should look like, especially to newer riders, and it is negatively affecting old school trails all over in the form of trail braids, short cuts, corner cuts, dumbing down, and B-lines formed by riders looking for a smoother more open ride. Before the advent of machine built flow trails those examples that I listed weren't really a thing. That's my main beef. Homogenization, sanitation, IMBA, meh. Go read the rant thread. A bunch of us share the same opinion of what's happening to the trails we love and ride.

[MrMan]

I'm trying to plan a 3-4 day mtb road trip for next spring. I normally ride trails that are a rocky, rooty, techy mess. Vert is rolling, no big climbs or descents. They're a lot of fun and I like finding similar stuff but I also like finding stuff that's totally different. Probably planning on either one 3 to 4 hour ride or two 90 minute-ish rides a day.

I will say that routes featuring lots of unmarked unmapped trail are not my favorite. I'm not the worst at route-finding but I don't like having to stop at every intersection or fork in the trail to play detective. If that means missing out on some of the goods, that's fine.

Busy day, will reply later tonite.

[scrublover]

So much fucking rock? Can never have too much rock. Rock has staying power and doesn't wear out.

As far as my opposition to this whole flow trail revolution is more of what it represents and how it's changed natural rake n ride or hand built trail far and wide. Do I have fun on machine built brown sidewalk? Sure, like many of you in small doses. Riding bikes is fun in general.

My opposition to flow trails as we know much of them is that it has created an expectation of how a MTB trail should ride and what it should look like, especially to newer riders, and it is negatively affecting old school trails all over in the form of trail braids, short cuts, corner cuts, dumbing down, and B-lines formed by riders looking for a smoother more open ride. Before the advent of machine built flow trails those examples that I listed weren't really a thing. That's my main beef. Homogenization, sanitation, IMBA, meh. Go read the rant thread. A bunch of us share the same opinion of what's happening to the trails we love and ride.

Shut the fuck up and stop being such a douche.

I said: So much fucking rock, building what most would consider a "flow" trail is not easy.

I'm a big fan of teh East Coast Rawks. I do not want a bunch of wide-ass groomed flow stuff on my locals. Thus, the rocks mentioned above are a *good* thing.

Trips to other places happen when I find myself jonesing for high speed/flowy/more vert/longer descents. Mix to taste.

[gravitylover]

Holy Fluffy Deep Leaves Batman, where'd the trail go? I was all set to do double or more what I did but it just wasn't as much fun as it should have been

[MrMan]

Shut the fuck up and stop being such a douche.

Yup douchey comment my bad.

I said: So much fucking rock, building what most would consider a "flow" trail is not easy.

Which is why trails should be built based on the terrain/makeup offered IMO. Trying to build a brown sidewalk flow trail in abundant glacial erratic land is kinda silly and way too much work and dollars.

I'm a big fan of teh East Coast Rawks. I do not want a bunch of wide-ass groomed flow stuff on my locals. Thus, the rocks mentioned above are a *good* thing.

Ya I jumped too soon my bad, again.

[Peruvian]

Night riding this week has been sick. My old Magicshine still runs like a champ (original model with upgraded battery when they warrentied they) but a spare on the bars might be worth a look.

Rain tomorrow and cold temps will make for interesting conditions come Friday.

[MrMan]

I'm trying to plan a 3-4 day mtb road trip for next spring. I normally ride trails that are a rocky, rooty, techy mess. Vert is rolling, no big climbs or descents. They're a lot of fun and I like finding similar stuff but I also like finding stuff that's totally different. Probably planning on either one 3 to 4 hour ride or two 90 minute-ish rides a day.

I will say that routes featuring lots of unmarked unmapped trail are not my favorite. I'm not the worst at route-finding but I don't like having to stop at every intersection or fork in the trail to play detective. If that means missing out on some of the goods, that's fine.

East side 3-4 hours more like 4. I start from the NC post office and hit a bunch of unmarked unmapped stuff to get to the base of Cranmore.

Another unmapped unmarked trail


Then I climb the dirt work road to the top of Cranmore and take right up Cranmore connector singletrack then take left down kettle ridge to bottom of Redtail then up Redtail to Cranmore connector to a right on Blackcap trail to the too of Blackcap for 360 degree views after a 1600 vert stout singletrack climb. Then descend back down just a bit and take peaked Mtn connector on left then bear right then right again for a LONG steep 1200 vert descent to the nature conservancy Land above sticks and stones. Then take left on side hill trail to swamp trail descent to power line. Then refer to map to do twilight zone, outer limits which brings you by redneck rock pictured here.


From there you continue the descent and clockwise loop on outer limits to the handicap trail (it may have another name now and is a fun trail) back to a short bit of fire road which brings you to the power line then take the pillar to pond trail to sticks and stones and back to your car. Solid 4 hour ride where in the 1st 7 miles you climb about 2700 vert between the Cranmore and Redtail to black cap climbs And it's very steep climbing. Always a good warmup!

Gotta put the baby to bed. Will add some shorter loops on the west side and off of the Kanc tomorrow.

[MrMan]

Radam, you can split up that east side stuff into 2 2 hour rides easy.

West side start from Echo lake and start with the electric loop. Then take fire road climb up to the beginning of the Mineral site trail. Take that and take left on Tent Boulder trail to left on fire road to right and do upper and lower Stony ridge. At bottom of lower take right on fire road and left on Sherwood Forest and climb that up to the mineral site then continue past the entrance of a Tent Boulder trail that you took earlier and take right and do the High School loop trail to the fire road then back however you wish to your car. That ride is good for 2-2.5 hours. Or more.

[MrMan]

Some pics from today. Got quite a bit further clearing new trail corridor and rode some homegrown smooth and chunk.

[willywhit]

Some pics from today. Got quite a bit further clearing new trail corridor and rode some homegrown smooth and chunk.

Is this new england ? Massachusetts?

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[MrMan]

Maine.

[snowday]

Getting ready for some Turkey Day turns in a few days...Western Mass is riding great still!

[MrMan]

Getting ready for some Turkey Day turns in a few days...Western Mass is riding great still!

Gorgeous! It would be a downright travesty to leaf blow that trail. Or most any trail for that matter. Leaves are packing in unreal right now.

[gravitylover]

Looks like the end of the public comment period for the Camels Hump management area is coming up. If anyone has anything to say this would be when to do it. The last open house is 11/29 in Duxbury. I haven't read through it but it looks like they are planning to include more mt biking opportunities.
http://fpr.vermont.gov/sites/fpr/fil...DRAFT_LRMP.pdf

[jackstraw]

Working more than riding lately which is an issue. But I have a lot of them.

Cut all the branches off this one and cleaned up both sides for safe emergency exits. Entrance could use a little milling and maybe the whole length would be ideal.


Did a little reroute on a turn that I've never liked since the day I made it.

[gravitylover]

Too many leaves. I'm about ready to go clean this place up, it's just not as much fun as it should be when you're constantly getting hammered by the hidden rocks and almost wrecking from hidden branches rolling the front tire out from under you. Fk the no leaf blowing sentiment. This place usually self cleans really well because it's so well ridden, I've been riding here for almost ten years and it's never been this bad. That windstorm brought down so much crap that the place is almost unrideable.

This pic doesn't do my rant justice because it's a granite slickrock section.

[jackstraw]

Too many leaves. Fk the no leaf blowing sentiment.

Too many Turkeys! They wreak havoc on trails covered in leaves. My lunch ride area sees virtually no traffic and man what a mess it is out there. 5 or 6 large trees down and debris all over the place...then the leaves. Turkeys scratch leaves, pine needles and sticks into piles. It's like riding over soft messy speed bumps! I had to laugh though...dubbed my ride "Turkeys Revenge" on the impending doom of their brotherhood.

[retirwntm]

https://youtu.be/gNJlTehNxp0


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