20/20 NE - I can see clearly now

[Peruvian]

Thanks to Laps for giving me a quick tour of Cochran's after work yesterday. What a fun place and I can see why it's becoming a hot bed for MTB in the area.

Anyone have experience riding at Mobbs Hill? Seems like the kind of place to ride my gravel grinder out to, whip around on the trails for a bit, and then ride home as opposed to loading up the full squish in the truck as a destination.

[Self Jupiter]

I <3 Cochran’s, that place is stupid fun for a flatlander

[Flounder]

Anyone have experience riding at Mobbs Hill? Seems like the kind of place to ride my gravel grinder out to, whip around on the trails for a bit, and then ride home as opposed to loading up the full squish in the truck as a destination.

Haven't been this year but I wouldn't take my gravel bike there, then again I'm a wuss. You might be able to put together a fun gravel loop but I've got no advice. Our usual routes are full of fun tech sections there. Once you're in the woods on the farm side it's a lot of roots and tech sections. Not a place to ride right after the rain, takes a while to dry. The hill side also has some old logging roads that are fine but the fun trails have lots of ledge and rocky sections. I've always considered it more of a techy ride, certainly more so than Saxons or Sunny.

[HankScorpio]

Thanks to Laps for giving me a quick tour of Cochran's after work yesterday. What a fun place and I can see why it's becoming a hot bed for MTB in the area.

Anyone have experience riding at Mobbs Hill? Seems like the kind of place to ride my gravel grinder out to, whip around on the trails for a bit, and then ride home as opposed to loading up the full squish in the truck as a destination.

Cochran’s is a gem and definitely getting crazy popular. I attempted an “easy” ride there on Tuesday and ended up climbing 2.5k ft over 10 miles. Love it.


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[Peruvian]

Haven't been this year but I wouldn't take my gravel bike there, then again I'm a wuss. You might be able to put together a fun gravel loop but I've got no advice. Our usual routes are full of fun tech sections there. Once you're in the woods on the farm side it's a lot of roots and tech sections. Not a place to ride right after the rain, takes a while to dry. The hill side also has some old logging roads that are fine but the fun trails have lots of ledge and rocky sections. I've always considered it more of a techy ride, certainly more so than Saxons or Sunny.

Thanks. I'm just looking at the Trailforks map which shows it's all green/blue trails. Good to know it's techy as I need the practice. I'll keep the gravel bike on the trails at Sunny Hollow and western side of Saxon Hill.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Dirt's been stupid good here in southern Maine of late. Lots of duff and still tacky enough to lean it down and grab confidently. Been a weird headspace to be in the last few rides with what all has been going on, but absolutely gorgeous and unreal conditions. Grateful.

[gravitylover]

All the rain I didn't get the last 6 weeks came down today. Looks like we go back to hero dirt again for a while. Of course my back is still fucked WTF is with this getting old and not healing shit...

[scharny]

Haven't been this year but I wouldn't take my gravel bike there, then again I'm a wuss. You might be able to put together a fun gravel loop but I've got no advice. Our usual routes are full of fun tech sections there. Once you're in the woods on the farm side it's a lot of roots and tech sections. Not a place to ride right after the rain, takes a while to dry. The hill side also has some old logging roads that are fine but the fun trails have lots of ledge and rocky sections. I've always considered it more of a techy ride, certainly more so than Saxons or Sunny.

Just to be a devil's advocate, tech is in the eye of the beholder. I know a number of people (myself included) who ride gravel bikes on plenty of rooty, rocky singletrack all over North Central VT, and it works fine for them. It's an acquired taste, but it's addictive once you get used to it, and you can do longer rides, linking trail networks with gravel in between, and make better time on the road sections.

[Flounder]

Just to be a devil's advocate, tech is in the eye of the beholder. I know a number of people (myself included) who ride gravel bikes on plenty of rooty, rocky singletrack all over North Central VT, and it works fine for them. It's an acquired taste, but it's addictive once you get used to it, and you can do longer rides, linking trail networks with gravel in between, and make better time on the road sections.

I hear you, not a lot of difference from a modern gravel bike to my late 80s stump jumper. As Peruvian pointed out, the trails there are mostly marked green and blue. Probably accurate from when they were raked and originally ridden. Not a lot of elevation or craziness. However after 20 years it's been eroded and the grade is probably a sand bag. I learned this the hard way by bringing Mrs Flounder there several years ago thinking it was all easy trails. She still hasn't forgiven me and the scar is still visible on her leg.

[buttahflake]

All the rain I didn't get the last 6 weeks came down today. Looks like we go back to hero dirt again for a while. Of course my back is still fucked WTF is with this getting old and not healing shit...

You have one of the biggest guts I’ve ever seen, lose weight big fellah.

[jackstraw]

Thanks. I'm just looking at the Trailforks map which shows it's all green/blue trails. Good to know it's techy as I need the practice. I'll keep the gravel bike on the trails at Sunny Hollow and western side of Saxon Hill.

I just became an admin for Trailforks (yeah, not a lot vetting going on there) and the mo is to rate the trail based on the most difficult section and use the IMBA rating. Of course, so much is crowdsourced the admin overseeing the area has to go with what he/she is told if he/she has not ridden it.

Funny thing is my kid just called me out for rating a trail black diamond. For the most part, it's a green then it has a tough short section where I've seen people struggle/fail, so black it is. Not double black, just black. I think about ski areas and how it's all over the map with them also. I think it has to be rated amongst the other trails in the network kinda sorta. I don't know.

[gravitylover]

You have one of the biggest guts I’ve ever seen, lose weight big fellah.

🖕

[Vt-Freeheel]

Humids left yesterday afternoon making the evening spin enjoyable. Tomorrow should be awesome, thinking GMT is in the cards.

[biggins]

Ohaithere!

Base Camp Trails are dope. Killing-town, VT. No gnar to show as I rode only B lines and was solo. Here is a little taste of the rolly, piny dank:



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[gravitylover]

^^ Alpine Bike Works posted a good video of the new descent on YouTube today.

[biggins]

^^ Alpine Bike Works posted a good video of the new descent on YouTube today.

I nearly posted my face on some rock on said trail today. Again, on the B lines. Awesome stuff.

[MaineSkiAddict1]

Stellar day today. The rain last night tacked things up nicely. Only was able to get out for 90 minutes or so but it felt so good.



Also, I think something is going on with my back wheel. Every now and again, the tire is rubbing on the frame (you can hear it run really hard, especially under load). My guess is that either the wheel needs to be trued, or, the rim is flexing a bit. I’m wondering how long before it really becomes a problem and damages the frame.

[AyoBeng]

Stellar day today. The rain last night tacked things up nicely. Only was able to get out for 90 minutes or so but it felt so good.



Also, I think something is going on with my back wheel. Every now and again, the tire is rubbing on the frame (you can hear it run really hard, especially under load). My guess is that either the wheel needs to be trued, or, the rim is flexing a bit. I’m wondering how long before it really becomes a problem and damages the frame.

What make/model? My buddy just had this happen on his Rocky Mountain Instinct and it’s apparently not that uncommon on their carbon frames with aluminum rear triangles. Something about wear between the carbon/aluminum interface causing flex and stress on the linkages and the shock getting cross loaded. He ignored it for too long and it caused a lot of additional damage, I’d get it looked at sooner than later.

[MaineSkiAddict1]

What make/model? My buddy just had this happen on his Rocky Mountain Instinct and it’s apparently not that uncommon on their carbon frames with aluminum rear triangles. Something about wear between the carbon/aluminum interface causing flex and stress on the linkages and the shock getting cross loaded. He ignored it for too long and it caused a lot of additional damage, I’d get it looked at sooner than later.

2018 chromag primer. I was planning on riding this morning then dropping it off at the shop. With all that in mind, maybe I should skip the ride.

[Self Jupiter]

When I was a younger lad I rode with what I thought was a barely rubbing rear wheel and it ended up cutting into the aluminum chainstays and ruined the frame.

[MaineSkiAddict1]

When I was a younger lad I rode with what I thought was a barely rubbing rear wheel and it ended up cutting into the aluminum chainstays and ruined the frame.

Exactly what I’m afraid of.

The tire is an E*thirteen lg+ 2.35 The frame is rated for a 2.5 but I think the profile of the tire is causing the rub. The knobs on the drive side chain stay are rubbing. I’m going to try and mount something different and see if that helps. DHR 2 should be ok

[schuss]

Man, trails and weather were perfect today. Didn't even mind flatting and walking the mile+ out.

[Peruvian]

Given how 65% of the vehicles in Richmond had bikes on them, the trails at Cochran’s were not overwhelmed with riders. It’s so cool how many little kids are buzzing around the parking lot and pump track.

Not so little kids coming down Lung Ta.

[VTskibum]

Dawn patrol today, so good might have to hit it again this evening!! Trails have been incredible here lately. Also getting out with my 7y/o and watching her progress has been phenomenal


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[biggins]

Oof. Dusty out there.