Post your Day Rides Here!

[Coolhand]

It's been crazy here mis amigos, with two kids (one of them new), job going nuts, and moving to a new (rental) house thrown in over the holiday weekend. Ugh.

But don't despair I have been out a few times, just no chance to write up the reports.

Took my co-worker out for his first DS/Trail ride a few weeks back. Wore the poor guy out on heavily whooped ST before we hit the Powerline Road.

Love riding powerline roads through the lava fields.

Did some hill-climbing (did I ever post the video?? hmmmm...)

Ripped it up on the singletrack (no pictures, too much fun) and then headed home along the same powerline in a light rain. Love riding in the rain around here, really helps with the dust.

Late on the night of July 3rd (two days after our move and still buried in boxes) I got a text inviting me out for a 4th of July ride the next morning. I couldn't pass it up. We started at a buddy's house and were on dirt within a mile or two. From there headed west to link up with a snowmobile trail that runs from just north of Mt. Bachelor all the way to the north of Sisters, Oregon.

Absolutely incredible views along the way. This is how to spend the 4th of July.

Chewing on a powerbar while a buddy snapped the shot... lots of mountains poking out of the trees. I didn't get very many good shots on the ride, unfortunately, but it was epic.

Checking out a fire tower... the view from up here was incredible. Apologies for the snapshots, I have no time to post process at all these days.

My bike was running *most* excellent with new jetting.

Popped in and out of deep forest to burned forest all morning. This is looking over Sisters towards Mt. Jefferson I believe.

After riding some awesome gnarly jeep track through another lava field we popped out at Skylight Cave north of Sisters.

My shots of the cave that day sucked but I was impressed so took the family up there the next weekend. Pretty cool place!

My boy found toads at the entrance and spent a bunch of time there.

So let's see... that was Saturday after the 4th I think. On Sunday the day was a cooker and I did family time all day. At about 4:00 in the afternoon, with no AC in the house, I texted a few buddies to see if they'd be up for a last second ride. One replied and we beat feet for the mountains, just in time to be caught in a pretty good thunderstorm. Which was awesome because it tamped the dust and we had a ball. Finally got stopped at the snowline and turned around in a cloud of mosquitoes.

That almost catches us up... Last weekend I got another co-worker out on his first dirt ride. He cracks me up... bought a DR200 and got bit by the bug in a huge way. Now he's fully kitted and armored out and still on a... DR200. I started a pool at work to see how long he'd last until he buys a new bike . At any rate we made it through the snow field in the picture above and were able to connect through to the lakes on the back side. Still getting the photos uploaded from that one (there weren't many) and now it's already another weekend...

 

[Gravel Guy]

@ Coolhand.....

 

[The Bruce]

@ Coolhand.....

Yeah he gets to ride awesome trails all the time; but can't pump his own gas.

 

[Gravel Guy]

I just dream of being able to RIDE TO THE SNOWLINE!!!!!.....and then ride back home....WOW.

 

[The Bruce]

I just dream of being able to RIDE TO THE SNOWLINE!!!!!.....and then ride back home....WOW.

Sweet dreams, indeed.

 

[Mudclod]

Riding snow in July, that is a dream around here!

 

[Coolhand]

No snow today, just ~35 miles of dusty singletrack. No pics.. I'll have to post the ones I haven't gotten around to from last weekend

Bruce, they let motorbikers "pump" their own gas, but the attendents still have to take your money and hand you the pump itself. Lame.

 

[The Bruce]

Bruce, they let motorbikers "pump" their own gas, but the attendents still have to take your money and hand you the pump itself. Lame.

 

[Tourmeister]

So Justin, tell us about your riding gear. You ride in rain, snow, hot, cold, etc,... Is it the same gear all the time? Are you using a rain suit or is your riding suit rain proof? Gloves? Boots?

 

[Coolhand]

Hi Scott -

I think you're probably giving me too much credit but I'll give the rundown. All my kit is reasonably priced stuff and as you can see, most of my rides are day rides so I don't have to worry about long term rain performance.

The stuff that stays the same:

Boots
AXO Boxer Enduro
Very reasonably priced, good fit and protection, poor water performance. Great response from AXO when I had to replace a broken buckle.

Socks
Various FOX socks from Cycle Gear. I like the thin ones the best.

Knee/Shin Armor
MSR Reflex
Best knee guards I've ever had, great fit, very easy to take on and off. A little larger diameter so make sure they fit under your pants. Makes the Thor ones I had before seem like toys. They would be hot in Texas, but you're used to that.

Pants
Hot Weather - KLIM Mojavi's I've had for years. Good stuff but you pay for it.
The Other Ten Months - KLIM Dakar pants I got for my birthday last year. One of the more expensive presents I've gotten... and only after I begged. Great high quality, tough pants with big cargo pockets and big ventilation zips that are easy to operate while riding with gloves on. You will need that ventilation. I did have two stitches start to come out and then stop and hold for months until I finally got them fixed.

The Butt Area
I wear padded lycra cycling shorts for long days or Underarmor lycra shorts for normal days. I have a stock seat on my KTM but I rarely sit on it.

Base Layer
I use a short sleeve UnderArmor shirt for the initial ride and I almost always carry a long sleeve wicking shirt to replace it with for the ride home. Dual Sport riding here is actually tougher to dress for because the rides will always start out cold or have the possibility of cold during the ride, but you will also be sweating your butt off in tight single track. Layering and versatility is key, almost all my friends wear way too much. The trip home can be really cold if you sweated up all your gear.

Body Armor
Over my base layer I wear an AXO Air Cage. You can find these pretty cheap right now of you look around. I really like it for the price and the protection, the back protection especially. Things I don't like are that the sleeves are too long and I had the stitching around the bottom of the front zipper start to come loose. It was a quick fix. Unlike typical roost armor it works well under clothing and under backpacks.

Warm Weather Upper Body
I just throw on a jersey over the compression suit on warm days.

Upper Body The Other 10 Months
I wear an AXO Enduro Jacket over the jersey (or over just the compression suit) the rest of the time. This is a very reasonably priced, versatile jacket, I've worn it in all temperatures. On hot days you open the front vents or take off the sleeves and stuff them in your pack and zip down the front. (Or just stuff the whole thing in your pack.) On cool days it works great as is, and on cold days it has a very reasonable thermal layer. I've ridden it in pretty good rain and never gotten wet, but it's not a rain jacket. With proper layering and the compression suit underneath it will go very cold. The two upper front pockets are perfect for cell and wallet. My buddies all buy "Adventure" jackets that are way too warm and often cost too much to drag around in the dirt anyway. (My Rev-It Cayenne sees very limited off-road ). The only things I wish the AXO Enduro did better is provide for sleeve venting and provide room for a Leatt brace... both of which AXO has incorporated into their Stone jacket.

Gloves
I have a pile of gloves but I'm currently using some Five "Airflow" gloves. Apparently there have been quality issues but these have worked well and the price was right . What I really like about them is they have hard knuckle AND palm armor and synthetic leather in the palms where you need it, with lots of mesh. Seems like a really nice mix for a dual sport glove. In the winter I wear some really nice First Gear insulated gloves that have a nice gauntlet. I like them because they aren't overly insulated like another pair I have... I can actually still grip the bars. Most of the time we're dirt riding in the winter I'll take two pair of gloves and use a lightweight pair while on the trails. Otherwise my hands just get too sweaty.

The Neck
After seeing a rider post-impact with a 5 ft diameter dead tree (no movement from the neck down, waiting for the Quad ride to a helicopter landing zone), I bought a slightly used Leatt brace from a friend. It took me awhile to get it to fit right, they say it should go between your back and your back armor, etc but I just couldn't get it to fit, especially under my jacket when I wear one. I finally just opened it up and adjusted the angles and now I don't leave home without it. I ate it good, face first, in far Eastern Oregon probably 10 miles north of Nevada and about 100 miles from the nearest hospital last year and I think the Leatt probably saved me some neck trauma. I've also hit pretty significant branches high on my head with no apparent whip. These are spendy, but not nearly as spendy as life in a wheel chair. If you are riding fast off road or in trees, you owe it to your family to seriously consider it.

The Helmet
I have a typical ~$130 FLY motocross helmet and currently Smith goggles. I'm not overly enamored with it or the goggles, although it fits well and FLY was really good about getting me a new visor after the face plant. I'd like a lighter weight helmet with removable pads. I still have the first AFX 39 dual sport helmet but it sees little use. It fits like crap and the face shield/visor is constantly breaking off. It does duty as my backup MX helmet now. The goggles aren't anything special and they perform like nothing special, letting in plenty of dust.

In cold weather I wear a balaclava under the helmet, which almost always gets too hot when I hit single track regardless of ambient temp.

The Balance of System
I have a very well used Trackside Switchback pack I got for cheap at Cycle Gear. It has the best hydropack system I've ever used, comically easy to get a fully loaded 100 oz bladder into it, with plenty of room for survival bivy, clutch and brake lever, tow strap, clothes, knife, batteries, snacks and small spares. (Note - save yourself the wear and fatigue and put the rest of your tools/spares on the bike, preferably with a lightweight, tough luggage system that won't come off in the rough stuff... ie: Giant Loop). It has bungies on the outside to stow jackets and anything that doesn't fit inside, a wide waist belt and a chest belt.

I carry a Canon S95 on the backpack waist belt in a small hardcase with a sealed zipper (although it still gets dust). If I had to do it again I wouldn't take such an expensive camera on the bike.

And finally, my Moose Handguards are *huge* for comfort in colder weather. They hold their shape, stay on well (they have a large strap and additional grommets for zip ties), and are cheap enough that you don't feel bad when you start tearing holes in them (which is hard to do, but not impossible). You can pretty easily get away with a much lighter glove while using the hand guards.

Missing pieces?
The only missing piece of body gear I can really think of is some good shorts with hip padding. I'd like some hip armor. Anybody think of anything else I'm missing?

 

[Tourmeister]

I had to have hip protection added to my CyclePort Air Kevlar pants as a custom option. I've not seen any decent hip protection other them maybe the cycling style shorts that sometimes have padding in the hips. I would actually like to have a piece of armor as the outer layer with padding underneath. A good impact right on the hip joint hurts like **** and keeps hurting for MANY months afterward! After a nasty high side where I came down RIGHT on the left hip, it hurt to lay on it for about 6 months and was still slightly uncomfortable to lay on for almost a year. Not fun given that I normally sleep on my left side... I have tested the current pants, not with a big high side, but with a few good 25-30mph low sides on rocks (Big Bend) and came out without any bruising or injury to the hip/legs. I also have some tail bone padding. If you've ever bruised your tailbone, you'll understand why

Protection wise, I like my suit. However, I have never been crazy about internal rain liners. They work fairly well, but they get hot in a hurry. Also, when it gets cold, they are right against your skin and don't do much to keep you warm, as opposed to rain liners that go over your jacket/pants, break the wind, and help keep you warm. So that means having to put layers on under the liner to keep if off the skin, which just adds more bulk.

I need to get a Leatt. Not sure if one would work with my suit though.

What I REALLY like about my suit is that it gives FULL body coverage for abrasion protection. So it is good for pavement and off road. Most of the stuff I have seen people wearing that has been more dirt focused really wouldn't provide much protection in a get off on the pavement at any speed. Given how often I am on pavement, even during dual sport rides, I want that extra protection.

 

[Tourmeister]

I had to have hip protection added to my CyclePort Air Kevlar pants as a custom option. I've not seen any decent hip protection other them maybe the cycling style shorts that sometimes have padding in the hips. I would actually like to have a piece of armor as the outer layer with padding underneath. A good impact right on the hip joint hurts like **** and keeps hurting for MANY months afterward! After a nasty high side where I came down RIGHT on the left hip, it hurt to lay on it for about 6 months and was still slightly uncomfortable to lay on for almost a year. Not fun given that I normally sleep on my left side... I have tested the current pants, not with a big high side, but with a few good 25-30mph low sides on rocks (Big Bend) and came out without any bruising or injury to the hip/legs. I also have some tail bone padding. If you've ever bruised your tailbone, you'll understand why

Protection wise, I like my suit. However, I have never been crazy about internal rain liners. They work fairly well, but they get hot in a hurry. Also, when it gets cold, they are right against your skin and don't do much to keep you warm, as opposed to rain liners that go over your jacket/pants, break the wind, and help keep you warm. So that means having to put layers on under the liner to keep if off the skin, which just adds more bulk.

I need to get a Leatt. Not sure if one would work with my suit though.

What I REALLY like about my suit is that it gives FULL body coverage for abrasion protection. So it is good for pavement and off road. Most of the stuff I have seen people wearing that has been more dirt focused really wouldn't provide much protection in a get off on the pavement at any speed. Given how often I am on pavement, even during dual sport rides, I want that extra protection.

 

[HutchPhoto]

Great ride reports everyone!! & the photos & videos are fantastic!

Mark man your gonna have to give me a heads up on some of the awesome day trips you take! I'll find something to do whilst you selling then we can hit the road!

.

 

[Coolhand]

I had to have hip protection added to my CyclePort Air Kevlar pants as a custom option. I've not seen any decent hip protection other them maybe the cycling style shorts that sometimes have padding in the hips. I would actually like to have a piece of armor as the outer layer with padding underneath. A good impact right on the hip joint hurts like **** and keeps hurting for MANY months afterward! After a nasty high side where I came down RIGHT on the left hip, it hurt to lay on it for about 6 months and was still slightly uncomfortable to lay on for almost a year. Not fun given that I normally sleep on my left side... I have tested the current pants, not with a big high side, but with a few good 25-30mph low sides on rocks (Big Bend) and came out without any bruising or injury to the hip/legs. I also have some tail bone padding. If you've ever bruised your tailbone, you'll understand why

Protection wise, I like my suit. However, I have never been crazy about internal rain liners. They work fairly well, but they get hot in a hurry. Also, when it gets cold, they are right against your skin and don't do much to keep you warm, as opposed to rain liners that go over your jacket/pants, break the wind, and help keep you warm. So that means having to put layers on under the liner to keep if off the skin, which just adds more bulk.

I need to get a Leatt. Not sure if one would work with my suit though.

What I REALLY like about my suit is that it gives FULL body coverage for abrasion protection. So it is good for pavement and off road. Most of the stuff I have seen people wearing that has been more dirt focused really wouldn't provide much protection in a get off on the pavement at any speed. Given how often I am on pavement, even during dual sport rides, I want that extra protection.

Scott -

There are various lycra-ish shorts made with built in armor, including hard and soft armor. I just need to get sum.

J

 

[Tourmeister]

Scott -

There are various lycra-ish shorts made with built in armor, including hard and soft armor. I just need to get sum.

J

If you find any, please post a link. Maybe we need a gear thread if there is not already one in the DS forum somewhere that I have overlooked.

 

[Coolhand]

If you find any, please post a link. Maybe we need a gear thread if there is not already one in the DS forum somewhere that I have overlooked.

I was looking at these in the store last week...

 

[Tourmeister]

I was looking at these in the store last week...

Wow, those have come a LONG way since I last shopped for any! At the time, the best I could find was basically bicycling shorts with thigh pads only. Those Rockgardn shorts look pretty cool, even having tail bone protection!

 

[Gravel Guy]

Folks,
I made a couple hunnert miles on Friday heading to Lockhart and back; had a big meeting down there and a client breakfast. Mostly back roads, hit AMGAIC (as much gravel as I could) coming home to try and test the new K60 front tire a bit.
Headed west of Bateman on Taylorsville to Sandy Bottom to Sandy something to 535, found a nice old bridge that I couldn't ride over 8-(......but if you squint you can see the red bike.
I took a picture of the old station in Bateman on hwy 20, looks like someone may be living in it now under all those grapevines....
..came back High grove through Mt. Woodrow, back to 20 and then 969 to lower Elgin to Elgin, cooled off visiting my buddy JP...Red Town road to home...
pic1- old Bateman station
pic2- Bridge over Walnut or Alum ? creek
pic3- Bridge rivets, still holding after many many years....

ps- the Heidenau K60 has about 500 miles on her and the nublets are still sticking out... I am happy with it so far.....

 

[HutchPhoto]

Nice report Mark keep-em coming..

Why couldn't you drive the bridge?

.

 

[Gravel Guy]

Nice report Mark keep-em coming..

Why couldn't you drive the bridge?

.

There were two-foot gaps on either side....I don't think the county boys want you up there at all....if I'd had a shovel and 30 minutes???? But not when it's nearly 100 degrees out.....not worth it.

 

[HutchPhoto]

There were two-foot gaps on either side....I don't think the county boys want you up there at all....if I'd had a shovel and 30 minutes???? But not when it's nearly 100 degrees out.....not worth it.

Dang county boys just keeping the rider Down!!




.

 

[Gravel Guy]

Had to head north of Florence for business, so decided to ride to Whitney Lake and back! Made about 373 miles, slower travel because I geared the KLR down a bit....15/47 so my top speed is about 65 but I can get there in a hurry!
Anywhooo..west of MacGregor I took CR268 NW to 267 through Coryell Valley, up 929 to CR245 to 215 to CR239 to 182 to CR220, nice riding overall but dusty and loose! 220 got me to Pancake and CR210/221 and 310 to 1602 to Hamilton CR 301 through Pleasant Valley (when it rains, I'm sure) and by the Rock house to hwy 22 and CR221 again to CR222 along Egg Creek back to 1602 to CR225 to 219 to Cranfills Gap for lunch!
Pic1-Looky this old concrete house on Cr267 in Coryell Cty!
Pic2-The Old Rock House on CR301 east of Hamilton...if anyone of you folks are brick collector; there are some corsicana red bricks here....send me a PM.
Pic3-The Bridge is OUT at Egg Creek on Cr222 Hamilton Cty!
Pic4-So stay OFF OF IT!!!
Pic5- And DON'T CROSS IT!!! It's Not SAFE!

More to follow

 

[Gravel Guy]

Lake Whitney part II
Left Cranfills Gap, headed east on 22 to Bosque CR 4100 to 4115 to 22 to 4185 to 4195 to 4145 to 4170 to FM 2136 to CR1035 to Hwy 22 to Meridian, then 22 east to 1105 to 1713 to 933 to FM56 to FM708 to 3310 to Hwy 6 to Valley Mills, then FM 317 to Patton Rd. to Chisolm Trail to Crawford back to FM 317 south to 436 east to FM 1123 to Holland to 2268 to Donohoe to Post Oak through Davila on Milam Cty 404 to FM 487 to 417 to CR 221 through San Gabriel to 486 south and HOME!!!
Pic1- Pick your title here:
a) "The three little pigs, told Hamilton County style" OR
b) "Thet dam KLR's so UGLY it could run the buzzards off of three dead pigs"....which did actually happen...
Pic2- a bit warmish out folks...stay hydrated!
Lake Whitney looks a bit down but not as bad as Travis and it is beautiful....I was getting really hot here and anxious to head home..
Pic3- Bosque River bridge, old and new on Bosque CR 3310.

 

[Coolhand]

You guys are killin me... 105?? Upper 50s on my bicycle commute to work this AM, upper 70s (maybe?) for the commute home

 

[Tourmeister]

You guys are killin me... 105?? Upper 50s on my bicycle commute to work this AM, upper 70s (maybe?) for the commute home

The wet Spring we were enjoying has come to a blistering end. It is dry and dusty here now. Temps have been hitting high 90s and 100+ pretty regularly... Even with an AC in the garage now it is hard to get motivated to get out there because I have to walk the 10 feet from the back door of the house to the garage...