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Thank you Mongwolf and a happy and prosperous year of riding to you!
Since you mentioned southern Missouri I would recommend Wolf Creek in Poplar Bluff or Two Rivers near Springfield as Mongwolf suggested. Both are beginner friendly and have adequate mileage. White River Valley near Branson is another good one.
Two different kinds of fun. Sometimes when I ride, I can’t wipe the smile off my face. It is simply a feeling of pure joy, the kind you experienced routinely as a kid. Trail building gives me a different feeling, one of serenity, purpose, satisfaction. I suppose one could say this is a more mature type of fun, basically fulfilling.
How do you plan to “strengthen it up”? Not knowing any more than you have stated in your post I think you would be much happier trying to sell it and put the money into a better quality used frame and components. The old Huffy components and suspension will not hold up to extensive use and the frame itself is already heavy without any strengthening modifications you may do to it. Just my thoughts . . .
No style of riding is more valid than any other. You love to ride, camp, and fish? I say go for it whenever you can! Perhaps after your next trip you can write a short article and share it with the group.
I believe there are riders on this forum that enjoy the same things you do. Sometimes it seems like the aerials and downhilling get the majority of coverage these days. Perhaps its because they are interesting to watch and can be summarized easily in a short video. But there is certainly room for a well made video or article about an epic bikepacking trip. I know I would enjoy it.
Clipless all the way for me. I’ve done it for years and like being able to apply force anywhere in my pedal stroke. If I was doing aerials and big drops I might think differently but I’m strickly cross country. Doubling as a bottle opener is an added bonus!
IMHO if the trails are located in the same area and connected they should fall under a single trail system name. The system could be made up of a number of differently named segments or loops. That would distinguish between the various different routes but encompass at least a good hour of riding into a single "trail". I like this method best because it makes it easier to find good trails to visit when traveling. Of course, with the infinite variety of trails available it is not always possible to categorize them this way.
rsb201 – I’m afraid that your experience is the normal state of things. A few dedicated individuals always do the lion’s share of the work while everyone benefits. This is true in many endeavors, not just with trails. I have slowly come to accept this situation and stopped wondering why or if it will ever change. The most disappointing thing, however, is that some of the lethargic many will start to criticize, often loudly, about upgrades or improvements that “ruined” their favorite trail.
Schwim – I thank you for your efforts on behalf of the trails you ride. I suspect, though, that you represent the minority instead of the rule. On trails that I ride regularly it seems that most people can’t be bothered to interrupt their ride to do something as simple as remove a small, fallen branch from the tread. That action would take what, five seconds maybe? Very discouraging . . . 😢
If an hour is not too far to drive there are several trails listed in the Macon area and a couple in Milledgeville.
Mable White, Arrowhead Park, East Macon Park, Children’s Home/Pig Trail near Macon.
Selma Erwin Nature Trail and Bartram Forest in Milledgeville.
It definitely gives you a birds eye view of traffic.
There’s trail at Mark Twain Lake. Don’t know if thats close enough for you. I haven’t done a ride there yet so I don’t know what type of trail is available. I suspect you’ll be sharing it with horses.
Welcome Perry! Sounds like you’re in great company age wise. I’m 57 myself and love to be able to enjoy shredding trail when I travel. You’ve picked a healthy activity (despite the occasional injury) to get involved with. Keep at it and it can take you places you can hardly believe.
That was a great read!
Are MTB friends different than "normal" friends? Oh yes . . .
I have been riding at night for years and I agree that it is a blast. I particularly like night riding with a group when you can see a line of lights behind and/or ahead of you.
With a good light there is minimal added risk to riding at night, especially on a familiar trail. Speeds are slower, but not as much as you might expect. The different perspective you get at night more than makes up for it and adds a fresh experience to a trail that may be becoming a bit routine.
All of the guys I ride with use the 29" wheels. But most of them race endurance X-country so it makes sense. The larger wheels are faster over most terrain if you ride for performance. If, however, you like to launch off every bump and lump in the trail, like to rip around tight corners, and gravitate toward highly technical terrain where speed is downplayed, the 27.5" size might be for you. In many cases riding style will dictate the proper wheel size.
Also, if you are a smaller rider (many women fall in this category) the smaller wheel size may be necessary for proper bike geometry and fit.
If possible I would recommend trying both out with your own personal riding style to see which works best.
Welcome back! Keep it fun and you’ll be riding mountain bikes for the rest of your life. Don’t quit the road, however. Its good to switch back and forth occasionally.
Before you use locktite try a little of your wife’s (or sister’s) hairspray. It will bind a bit when it dries overnight. I would thoroughly clean the bar and inside of the grip as gar29 mentioned beforehand.
I get very limited use out of mine on our home trail. But basically I use it when I can’t stay balanced on the bike (on a downhill) without putting my butt way back behind the saddle. I don’t like the vulnerability of having that saddle in front of me when descending the steep stuff.
I plan to try the dropper on steep, technical climbs where I may need to try some trials like moves but haven’t had the time to practice it yet. 😮
That hiking can be a dangerous activity! 😉
But seriously, sorry you will be off the bike for that long. You may need to take something for withdrawal.
A quick internet search found this adapter for sale on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/brake-bracket-fra … B00I6IV782
Most of your breaking power will come from the front brake. Do you already have a disc brake on the front of your Trek? If so, you might want to think about leaving V-brakes on the rear rather than retrofitting a disc brake. I would be a little concerned about the sturdiness of a bolt on unit like the one listed.
