Little reasons that riding makes me happy

[mtnjam]

The smell of blooming lupines on a grind up and a fun fast downhill on a trail rougher than a "Cobb" back to beer and pizza at L13

It's all good... new trail by Warm Lake, cute lady rippin', yelling at me to look further down the trail, following my lines, hitting drops to transitions and then jumping in the lake with me. Radness.

hmmm....new trail by Warm Lake, sounds interesting, fill me in about it
Heading that a way this weekend (well north of there a little)

[Lonnie]

"New" trails in your own back yard....

[Conundrum]

The smell of blooming lupines on a grind up and a fun fast downhill on a trail rougher than a "Cobb" back to beer and pizza at L13




hmmm....new trail by Warm Lake, sounds interesting, fill me in about it
Heading that a way this weekend (well north of there a little)

Probably not new to those in the know but it was the first time I rode it. There's an old weigh station about 2.5 miles up Warm Lake road off 55. Park there and across the street is Eagle's Nest. Super easy to find. It's a single track out and back. All climbing up front and downhill home.

[pechelman]

riding a trail youve ridden before, but never how you wanted, and then doing it
aka
not being tentative at all about hitting jumps at riding speed, then realizing you got more air than you were expecting, not caring, and looking to the next one!

[Rontele]

riding a trail youve ridden before, but never how you wanted, and then doing it
aka
not being tentative at all about hitting jumps at riding speed, then realizing you got more air than you were expecting, not caring, and looking to the next one!

Amen.

Sick ride Saturday.

[mtnjam]

following old logging roads to see where they go and finding some sweet singletrack laid in by motos...

[Platinum Pete]

Here's a long one: Last year my brother was going through a horrible relationship trauma, GF of 6 years walked out unexpectedly. He's been into bikes of all sorts for 25years and always been way better than me, but gave up riding in the break up fallout. I was into road bikes for the past couple years but nothing serious - hadn't ridden a full suspension bike ever. My bro was suffering hard and a friend invited him on a long trail ride - he came back and said it was the first time he was able to get his mind off the break up. The next week I dropped a big chunk of change on a Santa Cruz and we've been riding tons ever since. My bro and I are best friends again and closer than since we've been toddlers. The talks in the truck, the trail chatter, pushing each other on the bikes, and the mutual motivation to get after it has been transformational. Mountain bikes, fuck yeah.

[Particle]

A brand-new chain that makes your entire drivetrain feel soooo dang smooth.

[bagtagley]

You just completed several miles/a couple thousand feet of climbing. You start the decent and hear the tell-tale sign of a puncture. Stan's isn't gonna seal this one up fucker, way to be cocky. You try to set up away from the rotting leaves, but it's not happening. It rained the night before and it's hot and muggy. The leaves are a breeding ground for all sorts of flys and other biters. You're sure as shit not gonna walk out, so you start the process...
-Try hopelessy to get the Stan's to seal
-Hmm, go away fly
-Pull rim and tire
-Damn fly
-Clean out the worthless Stan's
-Swat flys from face
-Clean out more worthless Stan's
-Stand up because the temperature difference between standing and squatting is enough to warrant it.
-Dig fly from inside ear
-Get tube set up
-Swat flys
-Set goal of 40 pumps with crappy hand pump and go for it
-Get to 30, stop to wipe sweat from eyeballs
-Swat flys from eyeballs while you're at it
-Get in 30 more pumps
-Swat flys
-Finish with the final 30 because you want to be sure you have no more flats for the day
-Swat flys
-Remount rim
-Swat flys, stand up, wipe sweat from face with hand, realize that you've just coated your face with Stan's...sigh...
-Load up camelback, crank Ipod to 11, get on bike


Okay, so now for the making you happy part...

Begin pedaling hard...really hard, leave the flys behind and feel your core temperature begin to drop. Rip the next 3 miles of new-to-you decent with a massive smile on your face. Get near the bottom where they've graded the trail for hikers and have been kind enough to make rollers that are perfect for doubling. Get to the bottom, laugh, "what flat?", and be stoked that you have another up/down to complete your loop on the other side of the valley where the sun has just begun to shine.

[Particle]

bags, I was getting all nostalgic for eastern riding here lately. thanks for curing me of that problem sticky drippy bugs. it's sooo gross!

[Steven S. Dallas]

Grinding out a climb that gets hotter and dustier as you ascend from sea level, passing through weird zones of shade and sun and organic reek before reaching the tipping point, and then blasting down five miles of singletrack to the parking lot pausing only to grab a beer from the car before dunking your dirt-covered sweat-encrusted self in the ocean.

[Steven S. Dallas]

Rolling up to the ski resort on opening day and thinking, Shit, I kind of want to go for a ride.

[Ripzalot]

passing a roadie in a headwind (*) on my outdated trek carbon Y frame.

i was thinking to sell it and get a proper xc bike but i did a full evening of bike maint on it, changed some components, now i think i'll keep it for grins.





(*) to be fair, he passed me again a few minutes later but we finished withing about 50m of each other.

[bagtagley]

bags, I was getting all nostalgic for eastern riding here lately. thanks for curing me of that problem sticky drippy bugs. it's sooo gross!

I wouldn't say it's that much worse than gearing up on the Bobsled bench in a swarm of yellow jackets with the knowledge that, once you get rolling, there's about a 90% chance you'll get stung that day....again.

[babybear]

getting out on the first mtn bike ride since knee surgery, feeling good and feeling that excitement and carefree-ness again-washing away the months of rehab, boredom, worrying bc I am missing a ski season..... riding again and finally feeling like I am back to normal.

[pechelman]

heres one reason that riding makes me really frustrated

mud thats so soft and deep and thick that it cakes up immediately onto your wheels, tires, frame, pedals, shoes, and everything else it makes contact with that makes it really hard to clip in to your pedals, roll your bike, pedal your bike, shift into any gear, and have any traction whatsoever.

that is teh suck

one reason that makes me happy;

is that even while riding through this bullshit, getting to ride some awesome section of trail, that while all in all being pretty short, had big huge giant near vertical berms that make me teh happy.

[skiergirl]

Poaching a hiking only trail at 11 am on a Saturday coming across multiple hikers and only being nicely lectured by an old biddy. There's a lot of us vs. them in the user conflict issues around the Bay area, some hikers are pretty damn cool. Makes me happy.

Edit: (post rontele) And I know poaching is bad mmmkay. I had never ridden the area, didn't know our route, and wasn't about to turn around 1/2 way through the climb when we hit the sign. Not going to say I wouldn't do it again, but I definitely would avoid it during peak times and weekends. Was more just happy to meet some nice hikers that had no problem sharing their slice. Now back to a great thread!

[CS]

New parts on an old bike.

Recently put some new cranks (Atom Lab 3 piece), stem, bar and new rear wheel (Hope Pro II ss laced to Atom Lab trailpimp) on the dirt jumper. It's like a whole new bike.

Couple that with finally getting comfy on the jumps to try and ultimately send a different line, and I'm to the point where I'd rather dirt jump that ride any trails. I tried to get upset when that dawned on me, but I'm having so much fun jumping, I don't even care.

[Rontele]

Poaching a hiking only trail at 11 am on a Saturday coming across multiple hikers and only being nicely lectured by an old biddy. There's a lot of us vs. them in the user conflict issues around the Bay area, some hikers are pretty damn cool. Makes me happy.

and no offense, you are not reducing those conflicts by poaching a trail in the middle of a weekend day. [/steps off high horse]

[Conundrum]

Good buddies, big bikes, 3400 vert to the bottom, wild flowers exploding everywhere, and no uphill.

Thanks Jimmy P, Rev, and I think Super G? Good riding yesterday!

[RaccoonFace]

Skim was set to high so I don't know if it's been said...

It makes you feel like a kid again.

okbye

[ski_faster]

Getting back on the bike after being sidelined since April because of a herniated disk.
Knowing that I am slow on the climbs, but also knowing that I am going to come back stronger and faster.
Knowing that I am timid on the corners, and would normally be going a lot faster but it will come with time.
Boise crew! Conundrum, Santos, and Mtnjam lets go for a ride this week.

[CDubz]

nailing a line that at one point in time seemed impossible

[Tech Tonics]

really stuffing a berm at speed for the first time(s)

just airing doubles over rock gardens that you once picked your way through.

[carbs]

realizing that breaking the frame on my old bike was the best thing thats happened to my riding: new SS= way more aggressive riding.