Anti-rant thread: sh%^ that makes you happy

[evdog]

don't think Retallack is running a summer program anymore, but the trails are still there...

Interesting. Wonder if trails are open to the public now. They didn't seem to be before, outside of buying one of their MTB packages.

[t.odd]

it's crown land, they were never able to restrict public access, technically

[evdog]

Cool thx. RA, add that to your ride list then. Trails not on TF but you can see them on the heatmap.

[raisingarizona13]

Cool thx. RA, add that to your ride list then. Trails not on TF but you can see them on the heatmap.

I'll take a look at it. Thanks.

[Roxtar]

This rant isn't really against something or someone. Just a general DAMMMMMMNIT.

Month or so ago, pulling the camper to Arkansas with my Ram 2500 Power Wagon (Hemi gas engine). I tell my wife, "I love this truck but I have to sell it and get a diesel. We're getting 6-7mpg. Damn, really wish I hadn't just spent $1800 on tires for it."
Two days later I get a check engine light; transmission code. Head to a transmission shop where they drop the pan and show me a whole lot of steel shavings.
I leave a week later and $7000 lighter. All for a vehicle I've already decided to sell.

Someone's gonna get a really nice Power Wagon.

Rad! Post pics in anti rant thread once you have the tailgate pad moved over!

And the happy ending:



Not as badass as the Power Wagon but a camper hauling beast.

[Andeh]

When I installed new brakes on my ebike Friday, I also took the time to be super thorough with silencing measures. I stuffed another piece of moto foam down by the battery where there's a big bundle of wires, and I added rubber hose grommets (from YT Capra kit) everywhere the brake line exited and entered the frame. It made a shocking amount of difference. Basically when descending, all I heard was the tires and dirt/rocks. My brain perceived the less audio feedback (bike didn't sound like it was rattling itself to pieces) as the trails being smoother, so I rode smoother/looser/faster. I'm still shocked at how much of a performance difference ~$10 in rubber grommets and moto foam made.

[unitofstuff]

I wrecked my shit on Friday, but I didn't bounce my head off the ground and my bike was fine. Fucked myself up, but I'll still take it as a W since it could/probably should have been worse.

[joetron]

When I installed new brakes on my ebike Friday, I also took the time to be super thorough with silencing measures. I stuffed another piece of moto foam down by the battery where there's a big bundle of wires, and I added rubber hose grommets (from YT Capra kit) everywhere the brake line exited and entered the frame. It made a shocking amount of difference. Basically when descending, all I heard was the tires and dirt/rocks. My brain perceived the less audio feedback (bike didn't sound like it was rattling itself to pieces) as the trails being smoother, so I rode smoother/looser/faster. I'm still shocked at how much of a performance difference ~$10 in rubber grommets and moto foam made.

Quiet bikes are fast bikes.
Back in 2000s when Doug Dalton was wrenching for C-Dale and Cedric Gracia, and bikes were a whole lot louder, he was experimenting with injecting foam into Cedric’s frames. Back to back testing showed that Cedric was going faster on the quieter, foam filled bike.


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[hick]

I’m so happy that my rear wheel exploded and not my front, I’m stoked I was within sight of the car when my wheel blew and I didn’t eat shit! I love it when shit works out! Rims are cheaper than bones.


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[evdog]

On a road trip right now on the West side of the Sierras scouting sections for the Orogenesis bikepacking route. I always check out sections recommended by other scouts to see if their suggestions are good or crap. Three consecutive sections in one area: rad granite slabs! Needs a bit of work but would be awesome for the route. I checked out all three. There are indeed awesome granite slabs but there is exactly zero singletrack accessing them. Following the GPS track provided it was a bushwack to enter/exit and no defined route through the slab area and above and below it was choked with deadfall and even without there was no hint of any trail existing, ever. And this guy told us yup this is totally good to go. Rad descent! Maybe it was a freeride route back in the day but I saw no evidence of any use whatsoever.

Anyways after the third one I scouted some other stuff that were just lines on maps. I wasn't hopeful because this area is full of trails that show on maps but no longer exist on the ground. First one was an old road bed dropping into a canyon. Rough start but the singletrack in the canyon actually sees use as it goes up to some cool pools. The trail down from there was almost 100% rideable and totally made my day after the previous BS.

I had 90 mins left til sunset and decided to take a shot on another line on a map I'd spotted. Had to climb 1400ft to get there and realized near the top I'd left my lights in the truck. Hope this trail actually exists! There were a handful of MTB tire tracks near the start which looked promising. I was expecting a possible bushwack as the forest is dense here and plagued with the deadfall based on the other scouting done. Had to cast around to find the entrance but found a line that actually sees hike/bike use. A couple downed trees near the top were it. The rest was granite and DG goodness all the way down, tech, steep as flow. Dropped me out not far from where I'd parked. Stoked! I will definitely ride both of these again.





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[toast2266]

^^^ that looks awesome. Cool terrain in there!

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[VTskibum]

That looks great!

We've come an awful long way since 1986. I started riding offroad probably around '91/92 on a rigid Trek Antelope then Diamondback w a Manitou Mach 5, it's been a phenomenal ride all these years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qDwN8C0no

[Roxtar]

That looks great!

We've come an awful long way since 1986. I started riding offroad probably around '91/92 on a rigid Trek Antelope then Diamondback w a Manitou Mach 5, it's been a phenomenal ride all these years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qDwN8C0no

"Everything from top-of-the-line $2000 bikes to..."

[VTskibum]

In theory 2k in 1986 is roughly $5,750 in 2024, but yeah no kidding on that!

[skaredshtles]

That looks great!

We've come an awful long way since 1986. I started riding offroad probably around '91/92 on a rigid Trek Antelope then Diamondback w a Manitou Mach 5, it's been a phenomenal ride all these years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qDwN8C0no

You and I are pretty much on the same schedule - bought my 1st mt bike when I was in Uni in Michigan as a way to get to/from classes.

Discovered dirt and that was all she wrote.

Rigid Giant ATX-760 was the 1st ride.

[zion zig zag]

My first MTB was a Mongoose Rockadile in probably 91ish? I bought it after borrowing a friend’s Fat Chance and riding with him at Salem Lake NC on all of the pirate trails that were popping up.

[Roxtar]

Wife bought me a used Schwinn Impact ($65) for father's day around that same time-frame.
Yup, the blood is completely on her hands.

[Shredhead]

I was an avid cyclist ever since the Schwinn apple cart. I was a roadie and raced in the Little 500 in 1976.
In 1978 a guy from Marin let me ride his Junker and I was bitten. But incapable of building my own bike, I stayed a roadie until 1983. I got a Ritchy in 83 and haven't owned a real road bike since.
Been an everyday mtb rider since 1989.

[Roxtar]

I raced in the Little 500 in 1976.

Oh yeah, I remember you:

[VTskibum]

I'm still down w/ broken collarbone, but glad to be able to ride trainer. The bigger anti-rant was my 11y/o daughter getting 3rd in her first NICA XC race ever.

[Canada1]

I'm still down w/ broken collarbone, but glad to be able to ride trainer. The bigger anti-rant was my 11y/o daughter getting 3rd in her first NICA XC race ever.

NICA saved my oldest. He was lost and the support and structure led to success, jobs, etc. My youngest also has raced up until this year when the soccer coach decided they needed to be out there 6 nights a week. If I had the ability to steer, she would be riding bikes. The ridiculous numbers of kids makes many anti NICA around here, but I'm psyched everytime I have to pull off and let the trains pass. Stocked for your daughters positive experience!!

[VTskibum]

That’s great! First world problems, but I get the frustration w large number of kids put on small number of trails at the same time. The kids are always so polite as a group though.


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[Roxtar]

Going on a ride where the average age is 35 years younger than you and you're the only one to attempt, much less clean, a high consequence feature.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/32Eze_0Qck0

[skaredshtles]

Going on a ride where the average age is 35 years younger than you and you're the only one to try, much less clean, a high consequence feature.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/32Eze_0Qck0

Kids these days... amirite?

[Roxtar]

Kids these days... amirite?

Yup, they're not makin em like they used to.