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Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:51 pm
by Marylander
I'm too lazy to learn how to ride a bicycle on the kinds of trails I like riding motorcycles on. Maybe an ebike with a throttle would do the trick for the shorter rock gardens.

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 1:17 am
by Bucho
Marylander wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:51 pm
I'm too lazy to learn how to ride a bicycle on the kinds of trails I like riding motorcycles on. Maybe an ebike with a throttle would do the trick for the shorter rock gardens.
Ha ha!

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:53 am
by Twist
Marylander wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:51 pm
I'm too lazy to learn how to ride a bicycle on the kinds of trails I like riding motorcycles on. Maybe an ebike with a throttle would do the trick for the shorter rock gardens.
Well, then you're only a small step from a Sur Ron....just saying.

The bicycles I have aren't really suitable for this kind of riding. I have a couple of hybrids with fork suspension and a cruiser with no suspension but my neighbors and kids have been really getting in to this lately with some nice bikes they let me ride. I was really surprised at how much fun a good bike is to ride on even more challenging trails. I may go looking for something to pedal when the kids get tired of me borrowing their bikes. For now, they're happy to lend me a bike if they can ride the Sur Ron :)

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:34 am
by Marylander
Twist wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:53 am
Well, then you're only a small step from a Sur Ron....just saying.
Well, a sur ron or similar wouldn't replace bicycling, which I've switched back to for exercise instead of running that I was doing for a long time. I could see getting a sur ron to replace my dirt bike though. I've got a "mild" aneurysm that is making me increasingly nervous about riding my full size dirt bike (actually, it's not the riding that makes me nervous but when I screw up and have to lift it from awkward positions) so a sub 150 lb bike is appealing.
Twist wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:53 am
The bicycles I have aren't really suitable for this kind of riding. I have a couple of hybrids with fork suspension and a cruiser with no suspension but my neighbors and kids have been really getting in to this lately with some nice bikes they let me ride. I was really surprised at how much fun a good bike is to ride on even more challenging trails. I may go looking for something to pedal when the kids get tired of me borrowing their bikes. For now, they're happy to lend me a bike if they can ride the Sur Ron :)
I've got a mountain bike and have ridden it on rocky trails. I get off and run/walk through the little rock gardens though. ;)

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:45 am
by smdub
I run 180 cranks on my mtb w/ my long legs (175 is typ the standard). I've bought and built bikes w/ high bottom bracket (more clearance) to make riding in the rocks and roots around here easier. Pedal strikes suck. You can really tell the difference on bikes w/ an addition 20-30mm BB height but it does make the bike feel much taller. If you com from riding dirt bikes the mile-in-the-air seat won't come as a shock.

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:52 am
by BigBird
Just a helpful hint from someone that rides in the ROCKY Frederick Watershed - I have found that shorter cranks (with corresponding lower gearing) dramatically reduces pedal strikes.

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:39 pm
by Twist
Marylander wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:34 am
I've got a mountain bike and have ridden it on rocky trails. I get off and run/walk through the little rock gardens though. ;)
I've got this cruiser style bike that's belt drive and has a basket on the front of it. Yeah, I know, it's pretty nerdy and no self respecting guy would be seen on it but that's me - no self respecting guy:

Image

I went out yesterday for what I planned to be only a 10 mile loop - over to a local park, ride the loop around it a couple of times, then back home. So I'm riding along an asphalt path and I see what looks like a pretty well worn and easy path through the woods. Yeah, I'm on a 3 speed cruiser with 60 psi in the tires but what the heck, let's check it out. That trail sucked me in by being easy for the first mile or so. I had to carry the bike over a couple of bogs but the trail was nothing I couldn't ride. But after that, it was an hour and a half of gnarly ruts, rocks, roots, swamps, steep slopes, and at one point on a fast section of trail I DAMN near got gored by a tree.

I'm playing with this app called Relive so here's a link to the ride:

https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv279D3G4O

This was a totally inappropriate place to take that bike and I think I ended up walking/carrying it almost as much as I rode it but for some deranged reason I came home with a big grin and can't wait to get back in there on a more suitable bicycle.

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:16 pm
by Firebolter
Wes, you need to come over and take one of my mountain bikes. I have a full suspension Cannondale you can use, or I have a rigid fat tire bike that would work great for ya. I have another MTB that is available for a check out, but you will be hooked if you ride it and well, you'll spend more money! That one is my baby!

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:15 pm
by Twist
Firebolter wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:16 pm
Wes, you need to come over and take one of my mountain bikes. I have a full suspension Cannondale you can use, or I have a rigid fat tire bike that would work great for ya. I have another MTB that is available for a check out, but you will be hooked if you ride it and well, you'll spend more money! That one is my baby!
I may take you up on that offer before I go and drop that kind of money on a bike. Jeez, these things cost more than a Sur Ron (or a gas powered trials bike!)

Re: Mountain bike trails

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:01 pm
by Laoch
Twist wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:39 pm
Marylander wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:34 am
I've got a mountain bike and have ridden it on rocky trails. I get off and run/walk through the little rock gardens though. ;)
I've got this cruiser style bike that's belt drive and has a basket on the front of it. Yeah, I know, it's pretty nerdy and no self respecting guy would be seen on it but that's me - no self respecting guy:

Image

I went out yesterday for what I planned to be only a 10 mile loop - over to a local park, ride the loop around it a couple of times, then back home. So I'm riding along an asphalt path and I see what looks like a pretty well worn and easy path through the woods. Yeah, I'm on a 3 speed cruiser with 60 psi in the tires but what the heck, let's check it out. That trail sucked me in by being easy for the first mile or so. I had to carry the bike over a couple of bogs but the trail was nothing I couldn't ride. But after that, it was an hour and a half of gnarly ruts, rocks, roots, swamps, steep slopes, and at one point on a fast section of trail I DAMN near got gored by a tree.

I'm playing with this app called Relive so here's a link to the ride:

https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv279D3G4O

This was a totally inappropriate place to take that bike and I think I ended up walking/carrying it almost as much as I rode it but for some deranged reason I came home with a big grin and can't wait to get back in there on a more suitable bicycle.
:lol2:

That relive app is cool. :thumbup:

I sometimes end up on gnarly trails at Michaux and carry my mtb for a while. Still a work out.