DH Biking

[Delphinus]

I'm out that way with a bike at least once a year. Although this year it's looking questionable, but should that change I'll drop you a line! I love it out there. Er, sorry what I meant was.. Vancouver is yucky. I guess I'm not fooling anyone am I.

[kien]

That reminds me, a buddy I used to work with and myself used to trek out to Squamish every year to do the Test of Mettle. Great riding up there for all skill levels and various terrain for just about everybody. They also have a nice hostel there that's pretty inexpensive. Would love to head up that way again one day soon.

Another great trek would be Moab! That would be cool, have never been to Moab before but am itching to. In the meantime I'm stuck with Fish Creek and riding with Tony. Just jokes bi! (or mang, or brutha, or whatever)... anyway, I wish this rain would stop so we can get out and do some riding already. Mind you I have full gortex gear from head to toe so riding in the rain doesn't really bother me all that much.

[saltcreep]

My ride just before it's maiden voyage at Sun Peaks near Kamloops a couple years ago. This thing rails like nothing else I've ridden. Still a little heavy, but it will take a pounding.

It's a Brodie Nemesis frame with an upgraded Swinger rear shock. All the other parts were pulled off a Brodie Holeshot B Team. Next project is to replace the front fork.

[blacknife]

5 years ago or so i worked in jasper all sumer, brought my 100$ walmart special hardball with me and rode it till it was dead. 3 years ago now i was working lots with no bills and got a good bike. It has not seen a mountain yet just little hills around town

hopefully ill change that this year.

[trinac]

Looks like next trip is this upcoming weekend (25th) to Golden again if anyone is interested in rippin. Well I am not sure I rip, but I do get both tires off of the ground! whoop! Going for some more air this time round!!

So, let me know if any of you want to meet us out there! Its a pretty good hill with runs for all skill levels. They also have a sushi restaurant right on the hill!!! yah! For non biker tag-a-longs, there's usually a farmers market up there on the Saturday, hiking, and a grizzly bear refuge, horseback riding etc.

We'll be at a campground somewhere, I think we are taking the motorhome this time. So, there's the camping option, hotelling, or motelling. We have stayed at the Selkirk Inn (or something like that), its pretty cheap, $89 a night plus tax.

Anyways.. off to Gypsy at Red for some delicious food and wine. If you know of this restaurant, I know how jealous you are right now!!!

[fishytime]

wow Trina.....you totally didnt strike me as the "danger Girly"type!

[trinac]

Originally Posted by fishytime

wow Trina.....you totally didnt strike me as the "danger Girly"type!

I know! I am like a superhero! Boring Trina by weekday... super downhill biking extremist by weekend!! Chasing down one deer at a time, Doug... I do what I can you know... haha jk

[Delphinus]

Finally did some of the DH trails at Moose Mountain today. In case anyone's interested .. here's my trail report on the three runs I did (only had half a day to play).

Race of Spades - a nice long ride although one long uphill hike-a-bike section. If you're pushing a DH bike be ready to suck some wind. Structures are all of a "death is a plausible outcome" nature, however they are all bypassable. Trees are very narrow in and elbows and handlebars will likely bang into a few at speed. Great little trail, can't wait to do it again. Full body armor may not really be required depending on your skill level. The trail ends in Tom Snow which takes you back to the Station Flats parking lot and this is a typical XC/day hiking kind of trail. I did have a pretty epic wipeout right on Tom Snow, picked a bad line, flipped over the handlebars. Were I not wearing the armor I'd have hurt myself up pretty bad as I landed on a few rocks. But otherwise you shouldn't need the full body armor.

Tdub - a correctified name with homage to the original name, "T.W." for "That Whore." I was a little shocked at the name itself, and yeah, once you're on it, it's clear why it got that name. What a nasty trail. If you like the feeling of panic attacks and abject terror, this might be your trail. This would be a double-black, easily, at places like Whistler. I had no business being on this trail, and have no intentions to return anytime soon. I ended up walking quite a bit of it. It is unbelievably steep and loose and rocky in sections. In the middle it splits, if you go right you end up riding the ravine and I'm told it's all structures, not sure if bypassable or not, and rocks, lots and lots of rocks. If you stay left, it is a nice technical single track but still many drops and bumps. Rode by a 220lb black bear at the bottom of the trail. He was standing on his hind legs with one paw on a tree and watched me ride over the wooden table top (my one structure of the day, heh). He looked very casual in a "hey, how you doing" kind of way. Wish I could have snapped a picture of it because it was such a classic pose, but I didn't, BECAUSE THERE WAS A @#$()*!!!! BEAR 10 FEET AWAY FROM US!

Brakeless - a beauty of a singletrack that is over all too soon. Easily doable on a XC bike. At the bottom you have to pedal back to the parking lot along the highway. If I thought downhill biking could cause terror, it has nothing on highway riding. Road bikers are the real insane ones. Mountain biking - yeah, it can be scary but it's you, and your skill level, and the mountain. And the mountain doesn't pretend to be anything but what it is. On the other hand, every time someone passes, road bikers put an enormous amount of faith in complete strangers, those who would not even feel a thing as they drove over top of you, and are probably fiddling with an iPod, or makeup, or texting someone, or shouting at their kids or who knows. Yeah .. think I'll stick to mountain biking.

Had a pretty good revelation though. I do both XC and DH riding, it occurs to me that although you wouldn't think it, since it's downhill and usually you're using gravity to assist you, DH is easily way harder than XC. There were times I was so exhausted I had to get off the bike and sit at the side of the trail and wait to catch my breath. XC is all about the endorphins, DH is all about the adrenaline. Both are hugely rewarding IMO, as long as you don't get delusions of grandeur and stay within your skill level anyhow.

[trinac]

Sounds like you had quite the day!! Thats awesome, and funny about the bear. I once thought a bear was coming for me, but it was the shadow of the gondola... haha I apparently have a healthy imagination, or need some medication.

I've just been to Kicking Horse the last two weekends. Nearly the whole mountain is open now. Going again this upcoming weekend, the weather is looking more favourable for the weekend... so THEY say. Weather forecasters... haha. Hardly anyone has been out there this year. I'd say the next couple weekends would be great to take advantage of the whole mountain. Let me know if anyone is also going to head out there!

My favourite runs at KH right now are Superberm, Buffalo Jump, Hop A Long, and Showdown. Magic Carpet Ride is open now too... but it needs a bit of work. Showdown is probably the toughest of all of those for me, tight and steep berms, but I did the woodwork at the beginning this weekend! A lot of people skip it because on approach it appears the edge is a cliff. I had a couple spills this weekend as well, it was a bit muddy and I was going a bit faster than I should have on a rocky technical bit. And finally figuring out how to do drops properly, rather than just pedaling and hoping for the best haha

[muck]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

If I thought downhill biking could cause terror, it has nothing on highway riding. Road bikers are the real insane ones. Mountain biking - yeah, it can be scary but it's you, and your skill level, and the mountain. And the mountain doesn't pretend to be anything but what it is. On the other hand, every time someone passes, road bikers put an enormous amount of faith in complete strangers, those who would not even feel a thing as they drove over top of you, and are probably fiddling with an iPod, or makeup, or texting someone, or shouting at their kids or who knows. Yeah .. think I'll stick to mountain biking.

Sounds like you had a good weekend Tony. Im one of those crazies...
I manged to get out last night on my skinny tires for a good 40+km ride of Frogger around Edmonton after the rain.