Shimano Deore XT 8100 Micro Spline Freehub
Up the rock I went. A steep 5 ft. face and round edge that transitioned to a gently sloped wheel’s length plateau. I made it. A quick pause and pedal kick to the opposite edge for a controlled, feel-good rear wheel drop and. . .a lost connection from crank to the rear wheel. Thud! Crack!. […]
Oury – Big. Waffle. Grips.
Many have have tried to duplicate the design. None of have succeeded. Oury’s big block waffle pattern has stood the test of time. In partnership with Lizard Skins, the lock-on clamps use a 3mm hex bolt to clamp onto the bar; preferable over the previous design of 2.5mm. Grips are 32mm in diameter and 127mm […]
Peñasquitos Canyon #1
Solid ride in PQ on Thursday, the 28th. There is nothing spectacular here, but it’s thrill is reliable. This particular ride was memorable for trail side surprises alone. An unkindness of ravens, bobcat prints in the dried mud, and the rare afternoon coyote sighting jumping and pouncing in the grass for food. A nice welcome […]
Santa Cruz Chameleon: Frame Adjustments, New Life
Steve over at Hardtail Party did a bang spot on review of the Gen 7 Chameleon for Dusty Betty’s YouTube channel. Check it out below. I agree with nearly everything and there isn’t a great deal more to add. Though, our good friend, nuance, has something to say. Chainstays I’ve had a couple of months […]
Mountain Biking in the Fortuna Region of Mission Trails Regional Park
I live at the southern base of Cowles Mountain with easy access to the Big Rock Trail; a technical beast within Mission Trails Regional Park. Read about it here. Just across the gorge is the Fortuna Region of MTRP. I finally had the chance to explore it while testing out my newly upgraded Shimano Deore […]
Bidwell Park #1
Chico State, as we esteemed alumni refer to it as, is nestled in the small Northern California town of Chico. Get it?. . . It’s a unique place where the Central Valley borders the foothills of the Sierra Mountains and grassy meadows, oak, and pine, mix to create a network of and invitation to some […]
Cowboy Trails #2
45 mi. 4,440 ft elevation gain. This was, without doubt, a mountain bike epic through two of Las Vegas’ trail systems; Bear’s Best and the Cowboy Trails. I haven’t done a mountain bike ride like this since my days of working for Escape Adventures in Moab, UT in the mid 2000’s. Those were the days […]
Mountain Biking the Cowboy Trails in Las Vegas
Breaking from the ease of getting to the trailhead at Bear’s Best, I wanted another mountain biking option and was curious about riding the network at the Cowboy Trails. A quick Google search led me down a path I won’t soon forget. I watched a YouTube video from the good folks at Awesome MTB and […]
Bear’s Best #3
Bear’s Best mountain biking in the summer; high 90’s at 9am. This was the wrong opportunity to squeeze in a ride before work at noon; it didn’t get cooler. In the Las Vegas summer sun, trails at Bear’s Best have a magical ability to blind the eyes. Trail undulations and features are indistinguishable from one […]
Bear’s Best #2
A “short” day of of surgery in the OR last week had me at the trail head around 6pm. Mentally, I was prepared for 25 miles and two different loops. I crushed the first up Alice to the top of Gnarley. I felt great. Bear’s Best crushed me on the second. Something happened. I’m not […]
Mountain Biking Bear’s Best Trail System in Las Vegas
Mountain biking Bear’s Best in Las Vegas has thrills for the intermediate and seasoned rider alike. Fun network. I unknowingly reserved my hotel 1 mile from the trail head and right behind Las Vegas Cyclery. Solid shop. Side note: when in Vegas, go to Las Vegas Cyclery. Ogle. Well, let’s get to it. . . […]
Big Cedar Wilderness Trails
Big Cedar Wilderness DORBA Trail A few hikers on the Northshore Trails in Grapevine Lake, TX saw me try to climb a technical beast four times without success. Poor them. They suggested I check out the Big Cedar Wilderness trails a few miles away if technical climbs and mountain bike specific features is what I […]
Northwest Community Park Trails in Frisco, TX
NW Community Park DORBA Trails I’m learning that mountain biking in North Dallas has a lot to offer. I arrived to the NW Community Park Trailhead and was pleasantly surprised. Bike racks, port-a-potty’s, and clearly marked sign posts sprinkled the staging area like it was designed for folks on mountain bikes. Imagine that! A bike […]
Northshore Trails #2
Round #2 Another work trip to the Dallas area. Another opportunity to explore Northshore trails mountain biking in Grapevine Lake, TX and restore a little pride the trails previously stole. You can read all about that here. With the sun setting around 6:45pm, I started my ride from the Murrell Park entrance around 5pm. It […]
Northshore Trail in Grapevine Lake, TX
I had the opportunity to ride the Northshore Trail while traveling for work the last couple of weeks. Immediately evident is the brave community of cyclists who ride the trails daily in 100º+ heat. When I began westbound on Loop 4 out of Rocky Peak Park, I expected to be the only unintelligent person on […]