Show off your Mountain Bike!!!

Can't remember if I posted these. some photos of a 12 hour endurance race I did with a few buddies a little while beck in Texas. cross country (hilly) endurance race on a single speed all-mountain was pretty rough.

camp and the mobile workshop






couple hours in



handoff was interesting. you could ride as many of the 5 mile laps in a row as you wanted before handing off to the next rider on your team. only requirement was that every team member ride one lap minimum. you handed off to a team member in the pit area, and then you had to run a quarter mile to tag in your next rider. they then had to run another quarter mile to get to their bike.


beautiful forest course. not what you would expect for texas





on another note, it's not quite a mountain bike, but I got my fiancé a nice hybrid for her birthday, in hopes that she gets into it enough that I can get her a true mountain bike and we can start riding trails together. got mid level shimano mountain components on it, and avid hydraulic discs. tossed some nicer grips on it when we got home, may get her some nicer tires (I'm partial to continental), and maybe a higher end saddle. other than that, it's an awesome bike

 

Colin, what part of TX was that in?

We have a similar 12-hour relay in central MO. Trail around a lake that cuts through a campground, whole campground is reserved for the race.

LeMans start -- all riders have to run about a quarter mile or so to a field where all the bikes are left, and you can't see the field from where you start running. They move some of the bikes around in the field, so your bike may not be where you left it. But, only the first rider has to run, subsequent handoffs are just tagging the next rider. Same kind of rules, all 3 riders have to do at least one lap. The last lap (at least) is in the dark, so you have to have lights. Really cool seeing all the bobbing lights going around the lake.

 

oh yeah, forgot about the start. we had the lemans style as well. the start was actually the shortest run of the day. this race was in Werda, TX, a couple of hour west of Houston. about half of this race was in the dark. they had a 6 hour option for single riders. they started at the same time as the 12 hour riders, but ended right before it got dark. every lap started after the 6 hour race cutoff required lights. I love night riding.

here's a video I took of the start. you can skip to 50 seconds for the gun.

 

Yep, Warda, between LaGrange and Giddings off 77. Great quiet private ranch to camp & ride. Only open to camp if riding. It's where the forest meets the hill country. Didn't the route take you over to Smithville on some of the Rocky Hill Ranch trails? Maybe that was a different event. We have been going to Warda for decades, yes great place and there are many forested places to ride in Texas. 1st place I did a mtb race.

Camp foto from Thanksgiving wknd coupla years back - whole place to ourselves....and that can happen regularly in between holidays and scheduled events........

 

Rode stafford lake bike park yesterday. It's amazing! Massive jump line, kickass dual slalom course, perimeter trail and 2 pump tracks in the flats. There's a permanent bike repair station complete with a stand and tire pump. Spent 8 hours there yesterday, swapping between my Trek Scratch 8 and my Transition TOP. Most fun of the day was the dual slalom on the dirt jumper. Took me right back to my BMX racing days.

If you're anywhere near the Bay Area it's a must do.

 

pg 420.......................

 

Nice! Thanks for the report. Were there a lot of riders there on a Tuesday?

 

Well, just got home from surgery. 1 plate and 6 screws holding my radius together I should get some pictures in a couple weeks.

I have the Control knee pads and think they're nice. Any body have the control elbow pads?

http://www.jensonusa.com/Arm-Armor/7Idp-Control-ElbowForearm-Guard

 

Man, I miss central TX, but I am sure I would miss the St Louis area for riding if I left. Austin is my hometown, but to be honest, there are more riding options here. But, not year-round. I remember hitting Walnut Creek in the winter when it was in the lower 40's and we were all bundled up in thermals. Here, if it is above 25, I still have shorts on. I think I heard about Warda before I left. Maybe time for a road trip back home.

LOL.

 

Hardware is good, puts you back in action faster. Heal up soon!

Those elbow pads look nice, but not sure if they would have prevented your injury. Some wrist guards/braces may be more effective. The pads are more for protecting against impacts, bruising and abrasion. Your injury looks like you caught yourself on your hand, and pads on your arm and elbow may only be useful as a temporary splint in that case. You need something to dissipate the energy, other than your skeleton. I have some 661 Kyle Strait knee pads that I occasionally use, but mostly when I am rusty and rocks are sure to be slick. They are really comfortable and work well, stay in place.

The tuck and roll method is probably the most effective way to save limbs from damage in crashes, but typically that means the energy is dissipated by your rib cage. My last 2 big crashes ended in bruised ribs and scapula, which takes a while to heal but doesn't require any treatment other than ibuprofen. Collarbone breakage is also a possibility if there is a stupid tree or rock in your flight path.

 

Got my plates as retirement from skateboarding back in 1981 or so...snapped 1 bone of forearm and the other kinda snapped then poked thru skin and wasn't clean break like the other after it scraped the ground (cement). Got a coupla nice inkless tats up and down both sides of forearm. Meh, they compliment the plate in my head, lol....and set off the detector thing at courts/airports & disrupt TV/radio/cell signals.

 

Not really. I showed up around 10, there were maybe 7-8 guys riding. Throughout the day it ebbed and flowed. Bigger push in the afternoon as I was packing up, the after school crowd rolled in. My one suggestion would be bring an ez up for shade. The sitting area has great picnic tables but is wide open and was pretty brutal in the midday sun. There are plenty of shady spots over by the lake but i wanted to be able to chill and watch people ride.

Can't wait to go back. Maybe Sunday.

 

Hey does anyone have a Commencal or know much about the brand? I am looking at picking up one of their hardtails, but can't find any North American reviews on the bikes LOTS of websites from Europe where they are based. Wondering if anyone in the US or Canada has any experience.

They seem to be decently priced... Wondering if they are just that a cheap no name bike brand.

 

2016 Specialized Stumpjumper 29er Comp. This bike is unreal compared to the camber I rode before it

Oh ya and having a dropper post....is next level

 

Gee Atherton used to be sponsored by Commencal and won championships on their downhill bikes. So, they can't be all that bad. But personally I have never seen one.

 

http://www.commencalusa.com/

 

Yeah and now Kyle Strait rides for them. They are pretty good looking bikes I have to admit, emailed the Commencal USA email about locations of stores that carry their bikes in my area. Got an email back that the closest store is the showroom in California.

I have seen a couple of guys up at Whistler this past season with a couple of their DH bikes though.

 

Happy Labor Day fellow Mt Bike riders. Get out there and enjoy this weekend!

 

https://youtu.be/U_2ZTlYhY4U