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If you must, use a single ear bud. What’s so tough about that? It falls out on occasion? Oh the horror! That’s SOOOO inconvenient!!
These are PUBLIC trails. Not your PRIVATE Idaho. You respect and are considerate to others. What’s difficult to understand about that?
AwesomeStrap, RaceStrap, Mutherload, etc..from backcountry research.
I’ve never observed this behavior. Guess I don’t pay enough attention in parking lots.
Seems silly. Why not just leave them under the mat with the car doors unlocked. About the same level of risk.
So we know for sure he was coerced into riding?
We know for sure it wasn’t a free and voluntary choice?
I see occasional shortcuts on the trails I ride and I like the suggestion to find out the WHY people are taking one.
There is one shortcut that I actually understand people taking. The ‘standard’ way requires significant..as in FULL…shaving of speed. Its a terrible corner design with a 75 degree (worse than hard left) FLAT turn and piled with loose sand and leaves. It really is an injury trap for people unaware of it. At best, it just really kills the trail’s flow for absolutely no technical challenge add. The shortcut probably has saved a number of hard washouts.
I understand (or hope anyway) that there’s a valid reason for the current design, but elsewhere on the trail, no other corner is built so ridiculously.
Most of the time though, other shortcuts seem to be just an easy bypass from some feature (root, rock, narrow, etc). I’m not as keen on promoting those types.
How was the ride? Chicopee and Yargo are my regular, afterwork rides. My favorite greater ATL system is Allatoona Creek though its up 75 instead of 85/985.
@Uber – CF Rear.
Thus far, the extra plush of the 2.6 is nice. I *think* I’m able to keep marginally better speed in corners before sliding/washing the front. I haven’t yet been able to eval rear traction. There’s one trail section I know will test it out, but not sure when I’ll be back there.
Figured I’d drop back in as I put new rubber on by SB95.
I installed Nobby Nic 29er 2.6″ tires front and rear.
Front measures exactly 2.6 mounted on my 45mm rim and has good room to spare. I’d be OK with 2.8 up front still allowing decent room for mud/debris.
The rear measures 2.5 on the same hoop (guess I got a tire on the low spec end). Its just a bit tighter in the rear on clearance. I wouldn’t go comfortably past 2.7.
I’ve only come across two ever and they were low effort ones. Probably kids thinking how funny it would be, but not really thinking about consequences.
One was some sharp rocks and sticks set just after a small rock drop and the other was barbed wire stretched across a trail with leaves covering it.
Its all about the range you need taking into account your fitness level, your hills (up and down), and your surface (trail or road/trail).
1X tubeless here. 29er 30T front, 10sp 11-36 rear. You want to have end gear ratios that you only rarely use. For me, I occasionally am on downhill pavement where I might turn the 11. Similarly, its also rare that I bail into my 36. That might happen on an unfamiliar trail with an overly steep incline I’m completely unprepared for.
95% of the time I use a whole (3) cogs. 4% I get into 4-5 more. And that last <1% is my 11 or 36 cog. Admittedly, its often getting to know yourself and used to the regular trails you ride.
1X also allows you to run a narrow-wide front. With a clutch rear derailleur, chain drops should virtually disappear. That alone can be a big enough benefit to go 1X. I used to get 3-4 drops a season. Since switching to a NW, I’ve had 1 drop in 3 years.
You also get to run a shorter cage RD with a 1X so you gain clearance (and reduce your risk of a nasty incident) on the rear.
Tubeless can be a pain to initially setup and you need to inject fresh sealant every 1-3 months.
Its a minor inconvenience though and the extra traction via lower pressure is just fantastic. The sealing properties and lighter weight are just extra niceties.
I suppose its rare, but I’ve seen at least 1-2 MCs carrying a bike on the back every year. the most common mechanism seems to be to attach a couple poles to the seat/frame and hang your bike from it with bungees. Google it, you’ll see 100’s of pix.
Bikes don’t weigh all that much, so aside from the bulkiness making it look odd, it not much of a big deal.
My friend up north regularly transports his MTBs on his enduro when hes going to solo ride.
4 out of our 6 bikes are online purchases. I’m my own bike shop. And I like getting a build close to the way I want without paying 2 – 3X the price for it. Maybe that makes it easier for me to be OK with online.
The 2 bikes that are local buys…one was actually just a frame that a LBS had on clearance sitting on their wall for a few years. Bought it just because it was cheap and nice and I moved all the components from a prior online bike frame to it.
The other LBS bike was a demo that was in nice shape and also sitting around for awhile, so the price was reasonable. I just can’t pay MSRP (or a whole 10% off!).
I do use one very small LBS for wheel repairs / builds since I’m not a fan of doing that particular labor myself. I’ve bought a few random bits from them, but never a bike. Just…too…expensive.
For new riders, an LBS is great. Its also good for those riders who have poor mechanical skills or just don’t want to think or know what works for them.
I run Chinese carbon 29er rims on my SB95….40-45mm rim width, forget the exact. I have a 1X drive as well and a Large frameset.
I’ve had tires from 2.2 to 2.4 on it. I tend to keep a 2.2 Kenda Honey Badger Pro on the rear most of the time (it just works for me). The wide rim adds nice air volume to it. I run it tubeless at 22# almost always. I also weigh 210ish loaded. I’ve never had to push it past 28#, but I don’t typically hit large drops. I hook up on almost everything in north GA. Even wet clay climbs which sends many folks’ rear wheels spinning.
Max tire width that will fit on the rear is tough to gage, but I wouldn’t bat an eye throwing a 2.6 back there if I ever felt the impulse.
2.8 – 3.0 as-is would probably give me pause.
Owning a pickup is about the worst choice for 99% of the general population regardless of what your hobbies are. I’m not sure I’d buy into MTB folks representing most of the remaining 1% either. Maybe for those farming or hauling heavy equipment or otherwise living in the center of 40 untamed acres.
I personally have a station wagon which carries up to 5 bikes and people (though not in great comfort). 90% of the time its just me and a friend. 9.9% of the time its a total of (3) people. I think I had 4 riders in it twice…ever. Never tried (or needed) to fit 5.
And that’s the trap the typical truck owner fall into…that’s its SO convenient for that 1 day every other year when you have to load it to the gills or put something overly large and odd sized into it. The other 700+ days it just handles, accelerates, parks, and takes up space like the heavy, ill-suited pig it really is. Is it really fun to drive these things every day and actually pay extra for the pleasure!?
I know lots of truck owners and they tend to crow about the same one thing…. what they COULD do with it in some fantasy world, not what they ACTUALLY do with it in reality.
I vote minivan or econo car with small trailer as the best choice. Wagon is a close second (or best if you don’t ever do more than 3 and don’t need easy inside locking).
Owning a truck mostly come down to wanting status though. When you target soccer moms and rednecks (or both!) as your Jones, its easy to fall into this kind of trap.
Yup, I used to own a pickup. I get the misguided appeal.
Improved physical condition always helps and just with riding faster. Tech skills also waver when your body (and mind) is struggling so being in better physical shape also helps you pick a better line, balance an obstacle better, land a drop cleaner, etc.
I go to the gym to play racquetball. When I increase my frequency of one sport, I always do better in the other sport. When I start to slack off with either, I feel it, almost immediately.
My problem is on the eating side. While most of the time I eat (relatively) healthy, I just enjoy a little too much of the wrong food, a bit too often.
‘Either/or’ never works out well. Got to find the way to both and lesser.
Smaller water feature, lower gruppo line?
Interesting. I’m a noisy hub vs bell guy though.
Been using 1×10 for 1.5 years. Came from a 2×9 prior. Like most, I avoided shifting chainrings unless an absolute last resort.
Narrow-wide and clutch is the bomb. I went from dropping chains every 3-4 rides to NEVER in 100 or more rides. Also have more room for extra lights or battery on handlebar if needed with single.
11-36 gives me the range I need since I don’t ride pavement ever. I could see wanting a 10T cog if I did do roads more often. Not sure I’d ever need/want a 40T+ cog though. I can only spin my legs so fast.
"stephenhaze" wroteThanks for the help.
What are the Atlanta trails you recommend? I will have to make some day trips for sure from Birmingham.
No trails around Atlanta are going to stack up to what you have at Oak Mtn and Cold Water.
But if you’re just looking for a ‘new’ trail to try, Blankets Creek is probably the best destination for a day trip. While I don’t necessarily consider it my favorite place, Blankets Creek is only a couple miles away from Taylor Randahll trails. Between the two, you have about 30 mi of average-to-great trail to ride.
If you don’t necessarily need that much mileage, Chicopee Woods is usually my favorite all-around trails near Atlanta. It offers 21 mi in all.
After these two, there are still plenty of fun trails, but you will fall into the 10-15 mi category and/or start getting a little further out from Atlanta.
Other personal ‘local’ favorites: Dauset Nature Center, Fort Yargo, Allatoona Creek, Heritage Park
Been to CW thrice now. Its amazing to think it will continue to get bigger and bigger as its already a ‘destination’ to me. Can’t wait for the additional mileage.
I wish there was a site that kept progress better though. Both the webpage and facebook page are a bit lacking in the ‘trail progress’ arena.
