17 NE - Get out and ride thread

**biggins** · 10-16-2017, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan Dunfee

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That thing is crazy-pants! Did you get to pedal it by any chance?

**Anospa** · 10-16-2017, 12:15 PM

Yeah, rode it around the lot a bit. 29er front, 650b rear, super short wheelbase.

Crazy thing was, it felt super stable with all the weight at the bottom and helped bring the front wheel back under control easily. Ignoring physics, aesthetically it should have ridden like doo-doo but its a ripper for sure!

**MrMan** · 10-16-2017, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan Dunfee

Naw went legit with a paid campsite on someone's private property in Kirby. Will be a great spot to come back to with a group, halfway between Burke and Victory.

Very cool. Kirby is gorgeous!

**biggins** · 10-16-2017, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by Anospa

aesthetically it should have ridden like doo-doo...

I mean, it looks like a full squish penny-farthing?! Crazy in the pants.

**WaistDeepGroomers** · 10-16-2017, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by MrMan

Very cool. Kirby is gorgeous!

You gotta love Vermont for all it's cleared farmy sections and vantage points. It's got nh/Maine beat when it comes to that

**jackstraw** · 10-17-2017, 03:08 PM

Perfect weather for trail building today. Got the rough in done on a little section with zero bothersome bugs!

**WaistDeepGroomers** · 10-17-2017, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by jackstraw

Perfect weather for trail building today. Got the rough in done on a little section with zero bothersome bugs!

Hoping to make time to FINALLY contribute to the trails around here this weekend. In a deep trail fairy debt

**gravitylover** · 10-17-2017, 07:12 PM

Gonna go ride another brand new section of trails on Friday afternoon. Anybody passing thru the lower Hudson Valley that wants to go see some way under the radar goods should set aside a few hours to come out and play with us in the woods.

**MrMan** · 10-17-2017, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan Dunfee

Hoping to make time to FINALLY contribute to the trails around here this weekend. In a deep trail fairy debt

Riding and creating new trail and or consistently maintaining trail is the complete MTB experience. Been building quite a bit of new lately. Kudos to you and those that give back. Too many trail networks out there are blown out and wide from overuse. Keep it tight, keep it old school, keep it quiet.

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**buttahflake** · 10-17-2017, 07:39 PM

Ummm, this isn't MTBR, fuck face. No one cares about your, "build philosophy"
Take a lap, beater.

**HankScorpio** · 10-17-2017, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by buttahflake

Ummm, this isn't MTBR, fuck face. No one cares about your, "build philosophy"
Take a lap, beater.

Agreed. I hear lots of bitching/arguing/crying about this kinda thing lately. Faaaaaaaack just ride yer damn bike!

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

**MrMan** · 10-17-2017, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by buttahflake

Ummm, this isn't MTBR, fuck face. No one cares about your, "build philosophy"
Take a lap, beater.

Hmmmm, correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that you don't or maybe have never partaken in trail building/maintenance. If not it's good form to thank those that do in locations where you ride if you find life too busy to take part.

**buttahflake** · 10-18-2017, 06:10 AM

Or, get this. Never dig, always ride!
Yeah, little buddy!
I'm gonna pass 3,000 miles, ytd, today.
I live in a bike-centric universe, small-fry.
Live to Ride

Edit:
Why delete a post, DaveNJ?

**JerseyDave** · 10-18-2017, 06:39 AM

Accidental deletion.....but I like how you said it. Never dig....always ride. The ugly American on a mountain bike. Ride butthurt....ride. Father time is closing the gap.

**Peruvian** · 10-18-2017, 06:40 AM

It's often said that one of the best ways to maintain trails is to ride them.

**biggins** · 10-18-2017, 06:54 AM

NNEMTB race @ Ascutney today if anyone's around. Big coup to have STAB host a race. Should be fun.

I dug trail on Saturday... with my face. Still smarting from the crash. Oh well, no bike damage and no broken bones (only hurt pride and a rung bell), it wasn't Gordon Hayward-esque or nuthin' (too soon?).

**JerseyDave** · 10-18-2017, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by Peruvian

It's often said that one of the best ways to maintain trails is to ride them.

True, use does certain things the emulate what a trail builder would do when they first show up to "build" a trail.

If a person can feel good about themselves riding past volunteers and obvious signs of work and improvements, and never feel compelled to participate, then they're just not a person I'd like to see moving in next door. We have those types here. They blahhhg and strata and hype themselves. It becomes irrelevant noise while other spend time working together become a community project and subject of local pride. This week looks amazing.....AGAIN! Some work...and some ride today!

**Peruvian** · 10-18-2017, 07:58 AM

My experience with maintaining bike and XC ski trails is that at least 75% of the effort is simply clearing downed trees and limbs. By riding the trails, you locate them and most folks will try and move them aside right then and there. For the remainder, most times a saw in the pack will take care of them. I doubt I take more than 2-3 days a year with the chainsaw or using other trail tools (hoes, mattock, etc) working on our local trail network.

**jackstraw** · 10-18-2017, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Peruvian

It's often said that one of the best ways to maintain trails is to ride them.

[/QUOTE]

Yes, but they must exist to begin with.

I build for completely selfish reasons.

A - I had nowhere to ride on my lunch except boring dbl track.
B - We had an untapped area with fun natural features available that became the most tech area around now.
C - I had nowhere to ride from my house except boring dbl track.
D - I suck. Building the line means you 'know' the line...homefield advantage.
E - I am an empty nester and enjoy being in the woods with my dog building shit instead of mowing my lawn.
Fuckyou - Y'all can't ride my trails without paying me in beer...biatches

**Fenris** · 10-18-2017, 08:26 AM

Heading up to dig around Bethel and then lead a ride this evening.

If you're around Western Maine and want to check out a brand new riding area that's just starting, swing by the Wednesday Bacon Ride this afternoon.

**gravitylover** · 10-18-2017, 08:29 AM

I've pretty much given up on riding with tools, if I can't do the maintenance that needs to be done by hand I don't do it. I'll clear fallen branches and such, move rocks and things to ramp big stuff that's down and scrape out a short reroute around things too big to be removed with anything other than a chainsaw and more than one person. My days of riding with shovel and rake strapped to a pack are pretty much over. I've been asked not to touch things too often over the last two years and straight up told not to even mark out new lines in most of the local spots so fk 'em I just ride now.

**Peruvian** · 10-18-2017, 08:49 AM

gl - building trails is a whole 'nother animal than maintaining them.

**gravitylover** · 10-18-2017, 08:54 AM

Really

I've done lots of building in my area over the last 20 years, there is an entire area that wouldn't have more than a few miles of trails if me and my friends hadn't laid out and cleared another 15 miles of goodies that are now part of an official mt bike park. Unfortunately I was specifically told to stop doing anything, including basic maintenance, not too long ago. I won't listen to the don't do anything part and will continue to basic work but I'm hesitant to do anything more than that.

**JerseyDave** · 10-18-2017, 03:27 PM

It's too bad an experienced trail worker is discouraged from working. At the same time I undo shoddy work and discourage inexperienced folk from doing their own stuff every year within the network i've been working in.

Once you become the main dude, everyone thinks everything that gets done is done by you. People have to work with the locals p be sure certain standards are met before they are turned loose. As it is now, There's a few other guys that work a bit on their own.

People who don't like being informed a bit in the beginning should find an area where they can make their own mistakes and do their own fixing. Ultimately they will realize the folks trying to help them actually knew something and could have saved them time.