We are Dinosaurs

[cherrybomb]

Went out this morning for a mud bath....and then a serious cold shower! :roll:

Anyway I took in some trails just south of Shrewsbury in Eastridge Wood.
They've got some nice trails going on in the forestry land. Some inevitable fire road, but some great singletrack through the trees.

BUT

There are several singletrack climbs that would be ace if it wasn't for all the roots which make them unridable on anything other than a full sus. and the same for the descents. They're all 'do-able' but with serious care being taken 'cos they're so steep and rutted. The worst runs down a rocky stream bed.

Now I'm not saying that there isn't a place for stuff like this. Hell I'm going back on a full sus as soon as I can!

The shame of it is that these are all parts of the marked circuits and can't be avoided. Kind of takes the fun out of the lung busting climbs if you've got to nurse your rigid rig back down the descents. :cry:

Kind of a shame really, and what with the growing trend for us to only be allowed on purpose built trails, makes me wonder if we'll have anywhere to ride our prized steeds except the tow path?? :?

Any way, here's a couple of blurry pix of mud. Please forgive the quality it was raining horizontally at the time and I only had my phone to take them with. :roll:

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[jango]

Less of the Negative Waves Dude.....

to quote EdEdwards at the Cannock meet - "Rigid, it's the future...."

 

[tintin40]

I thought you said 'rigid' That bike got some boing on the front :roll:

 

[cherrybomb]

I think you get what I meant. :roll:

I wouldn't have got anywhere on the Karakoram.

 

[jimihendrix]

It's funny i was just thinking the other day, looking at my Orange build an thinking it's going to be great once it's done, looked at the GT LTS i've had for eight years and had a very breif thought about moving on, selling it and putting the money into the Orange.

But then i realised i want to get out more on the bike this year and imagined going out with other riders on downhill, jump and freeride rigs (which is mostly what's out there these days) and being left behind on my Clockwork :roll: , so i decided i better keep the GT which can still hold it's own against modern rigs and have the best of both worlds with the LTS and the Clockwork.

 

[tintin40]

But it is a nice looking Orange

 

[Lid]

This morning I was ridding with a friend around Box Hill.
We came across one of those historical sign posts saying that 3000 years ago this area was a small farming community.
We looked up to see trees, grass, muck and mud.
Our tracks wont mean a fuckin thing here today.

 

[cce]

head down, arse up + technical = unpleasant. always has and always will.

 

[TheRedMantra]

I live in Arizona & my main ride is a rigid single speed Klein attitude. Its a 97 with a 2004 pace rc31. I run a v rear and disc front. I can keep up with or go faster than most all the full-squishers in town on the downhill if I pick a wise route. Some days I just ride around town and go into washes full of soft sand and tons of rocks, all running downhill. Its great practice especially since the washes change after every big downpour. I just got back from a trip to Miami and the trails there are hella-rooty. One park out there, Markham, has some of the sickest and hardest trails I have ever ridden (I've done everything around Tucson and Lake Havasu, as well as many trails in Maine for a point of reference). I know I'm rambling but my point is that if you are determined to succeed then no trail is off limits to a rigid bike.

 

[orange71]

I was a real full suss advocate, but I have just decided to sell all mine but one as I have found that you just don't feel the trail on one of those things. It's like riding a sofa. Perhaps it was my choice of full suss, but I have found going back to hardtail has put me back in touch with what it's all about. It's not always about getting to the bottom first, it's how you go about it. It takes more skill on a hardtail at the end of the day and I enjoy the challenge. It was too easy on a full suss.