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I went through a stretch where I was constantly experiencing debilitating leg cramps on the trail or shortly after I finished a ride. Usually hit me in my inner quads and they were brutally painful. I tried a sugar and salt solution in my Camelback, pickle juice before a ride, electrolyte tablets and I experimented with all manner of different foods before riding. The only thing that worked for me was fitness. As I began riding more frequently and got in better shape the cramps went away. I was riding 7-8 very technical miles and getting horrible cramps and feeling completely exhausted when done. Now I’m riding twice that mileage with no cramps and feeling great at the end of the ride.
I’m 51 who does not engage in high-speed downhill or take big risks. That said, I wear knee/shin pads and elbow pads on every ride. They have saved me in in numerous low speed crashes over the years. Most of the riders in our group of 10+ guys wear some sort of padding.
I have Fox Launch hardshell pads which aren’t made anymore. They can be warm but are perfect for the rocky New England trails. I have yet to find a similar style pad to replace them.
We do have riders in our group that wear the G-Form soft pads which are cooler and they haven’t had any issues with tearing from impact with rocks.
1992 Raleigh Chill. My wife now rides it on the rails to trails.
We ride all year long, so night riding is what we are forced to do once daylight begins to get short. Our trails are highly technical so good lighting is a must. I ride with two 650s on my bars and a 750 on my helmet and I ride every trail I would ride in the day. The guys in our group all favor NiteRider Lumina lights and I know they get a bad rap for losing lumens after a short period of time, but for 2-3 hour rides, I’ve never had an issue where I felt my safety was in jeopardy. One of the 650s is over 6 years old.
Get out there, be safe and enjoy!
Good move on the Sherpa. I bought one in the spring and absolutely love it.
I feel like it’s the first bike related purchase I have ever made where I didn’t settle in any way. Solid construction, great looks and they have fantastic customer service.
More of a biking superstition than a bike superstition, but I count the number of Red-Tailed Hawks that I see on my drive to the trailhead. They perch on trees, light posts and road signs and I tell myself that they are watching over me. The more hawks that I see, the better my ride will be. I’ve seen as many as ten on my 25 minute ride.
The main reason I went to 1x was to clean up the crap on my handlebars and give me better access to my dropper remote. The shift lever was getting in my way when I needed to drop the post.
I’m not a good enough biker to feel the effects of the loss of 12 oz in weight I saved by removing the derailleur and shifter. Other than that, converting gave me the opportunity to gear the chainring (26t) and cassette (11t-42t) to where it fit my needs for climbing in New England.
As a New England rider, you learn that roots are features. They are part of the trail and in most cases make the trail a mountain bike trail. Certain rooty sections will get washed out over a long period of time making them difficult to navigate, but that’s what mountain biking is. I can think of an area on our local trails that has gotten increasingly harder because of increased root exposure. It would be silly to say that smoothing out the area would affect the local economy.
Boxed and graveled? Why not just pave it? SMH…
I bought a 1992 Raleigh Chill after getting my first job out of college. I moved from Connecticut to West Virginia shortly after that and rode the steep rocky climbs and descents of the Appalachians. Completely rigid! I took some years off as we continued to move around and finally bought a 29er in 2012. My wife still rides it on the rails to trails with the kids on the Michelin Wild Grip’R tires I bought in 1996!
My gloves go in the washer with my shorts, socks and other clothes. Once every few weeks I dunk my elbow and shin pads in a gallon bucket filled with warm water, a cup of white vinegar and a couple tablespoons of baking soda. It completely takes the stink out of them. I wash my Osprey pack using dish soap, by hand in the sink.
1992 Raleigh Chill. My wife still rides it on the rails to trails in town.
When it comes to night riding, I like to stick to trails that I know really well. No need to find that new drop-off by accident!
I’m a big fan of NiteRider. I use two 650 Luminas on my bars and a MiNewt 350 on my helmet. Probably overkill, but I’ve had the MiNewt forever. The MiNewt was $100 about 10 years ago and that’s all I used to ride with!
I’m always looking for the best bang for my buck when it comes to anything, but this link below is enough for me to stay away from cheap Chinese lights.
A Cheap Chinese Bike Light Nearly Burned Down this Rider’s House
Our group of riders live 15 minutes or less from the West Hartford Reservoir and it was always our home turf. We started going to Case in Manchester once every few months, and now that’s our home turf. We are talking about venturing south to Rockland and Miller’s Pond.
We’re headed up to Stowe, VT in a few weeks for four days of riding and camping. We’re looking to ride one day outside of Stowe, possibly Millstone or Hinesburg Town Forest.
Thanks for the welcome John. I usually spend my time on the MTBR forums as they get a little more action. Some great stuff here too!
NE really is a great pace to ride, and I think it’s a lot like skiing in NE. If you can ski/ride here, you can ski/ride anywhere!
