All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Some quick tips for trail side chain repair (for anyone who has an issue, which we all will).

SRAM has a pin which holds your derailleur open, Shimano has a sliding clutch release. Both make fixing chains tons easier.
Remove the chain from the front chainring to get slack in the chain.
ALWAYS carry a couple of quick links. They are super easy to use and don’t force you into shortening your chain for the rest of the ride.
A few new tools have integrated chain breakers for when you need to pop out that broken link, practice using it before you have to.
Check chain length regularly. Worn chains not only are more likely to pop, but wear out your expensive drivetrain really quickly, with the new 12 speed stuff you don’t want to buy a new cassette.
Buy a high quality chain. It seems silly to spend double on a chain, but life is way longer, shifting is smoother, and it’s lighter.

 

Trip update: Went for a gondola assisted loop in Brasov. 21 miles, 5,200 ft (2000 up the gondola). Trails there are so awesome, tons of fun and flow. And riding over 5,000 downhill feet over 10 miles consistently was amazing. Never had such a long dh in one run. Trails were raw, no man made stuff, just narrow, winding, roots, rocks, chutes, technical sections, fast as hell sections, all in perfect dirt.
Then you end in the beautiful town, and ride backup a shaded smooth forest road with a creek and tons of wildlife around you. Perfect day on a bike.

 

The SRAM one works fantastically. I haven’t had much luck with the Shimano clutch design feature. On this particular one, I needed to hold my cranks still, hold the derailleur forward, hold the chain together and operate the chain breaker to get the pin pushed in. So many needs so few hands.

Never again. Already ordering a new chain and 2 extra quick links to avoid this in the future.

PS that’s your old dropper in the pic!! Your trip looks amazing! Keep the updates coming!

 

Add a zip tie or two to your kit to hold the chain together so you have some slack to pop in the quick link. I do this when I’m at home too

 

I'd also suggest one of these to aid with link removal/replacement and keep those quick links where you can find them. I've been carrying one of these since they launched and have loaned it out a few times trail side to help others.

Pack Pliers - Master Link Combo Pliers

 

That’s pretty neat

 

dude this is so awesome, I'm so jealous of all of this!

 

@abacall

I got a present to myself in the mail last night

 

I'm over in Wake Forest (just north of Raleigh). This certainly won't be my last trip "out west" this summer, so I'll post up when I'm going again. No worries. I think I'm just going to hit Dupont solo. There's a lot of traffic on those trails, so it shouldn't be that bad solo.

Congrats on the second baby and good luck with your sanity in the next few weeks/months!

 

I really like OneUp stuff. I have their steer tube EDC tool kit and the 70cc pump... both are quality products that have held up to a fair bit of beating.

 

I make it out to NC for work sometimes. Made it a long weekend to ride pisgah after last time I was in. Next time I'm in town, I'll hit you up.

 

I'm actually heading your way on the 29th of this month. Since MOAB is just too damn hot in July, I think we're hitting Wasatch Crest and a few other spots near SLC/PC. Do you have any specific recommendations for that area? I have 3 days to fill with rides and/or site-seeing there.

 

Cool, that's good to hear. Their stuff has pretty good reviews, and at about half the cost of the more expensive posts, it was kind of a no-brainer.

 

Here are 2 loops I like to do @ DuPont

Lake Imaging parking lot:

Lake Imaging road -> LEFT on Jim Branch -> RIGHT on Issac Heath -> RIGHT on Locust -> Straight into Hilltop (CCW) -> RIGHT on Buck Forest Road -> LEFT on White Pines -> LEFT on Hooker Creek -> As you climb up you'll come to a "T" -- to the left is Ridgeline and to the right you can do Hickory Mountain Loop which I like to do before Ridgeline. Hickory Mountain Loop is an easier climb going up CCW -- both ways down are fun.. then you can just come right back down Ridgeline to the parking lot.


Corn Mill Shoals parking lot:

Cross the road to Corn Mill Shoals trail -> Pass Burnt Mountain 'Exit' -> RIGHT on Burnt Mountain (you want to do this trail CW so you'll start at the 2nd 'entrance' if that makes sense) -> Right on Little River -> Pass Cedar Rock (unless you want a super steep climb) -> Keep going to second Cedar Rock 'entrance' (like Burnt Mountain) -> Climb up CCW -> Right on Big Rock -> RIGHT on Longside -> LEFT on Twixit -> Cross street -> LEFT on Rock Quarry -> LEFT on Buck Ridge Road -> LEFT on Micajah -> RIGHT on Wilkie -> LEFT on road right to parking lot..

 

Need to hit a crest lap fo sho! It'll be melted out by then.

I also dig the PC trails over on the PC/Deer Valley canyon. Moose House, etc. More DH oriented. If upper Deer Valley is open (maybe not), you should pedal up then ride tidal wave down as a fast AF flow trail, or Tsunami if you are into HUGE tabletops. Fireswamp is pretty gnar if you're looking for that.

Moose House:



In SLC itself, Bobsled is a must. North end of town above the university.




High Star Ranch over in Kamas (by PC) is good for some chunky flow, but the climb is an exercise in patience. Like literally 99 switchbacks to get there. You get really good at turns really quick.

 

One for the evening and one for the morning. Perfect!

thank you!

 

Man I would love to hit that gap.

 

I am sure you will but definitely take a look @ Trail Forks as well with my recommendations

On Lake Imaging side if you don't mind a bit of gravel climbing you can throw in Rocky Ridge and swing it back to Hookers Creek.

 

Oh, there are much bigger ones locally. Come visit and I'll yell "world star!" as you send your way into Friday Fails on PB.

 

Gaps and I don't really get along these days. Whenever I hit anything like that, it's a guaranteed PB Fail video. I simply can't jump anymore...which is sadness.

So yeah, I'm going to have to bypass those bigger drops and jumps... a nice, long, moderate ride with flow and small jumps is my thing.