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- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
- Messages
- 4,491
- Reaction score
- 1,286
- Location
- Buda, TX
- First Name
- Rich
- Last Name
- Gibbens
Cross Creek Cycle Park is a 260 acre off-road park about 30 miles east of Austin. I have ridden and raced my mx bike there many times in the past few years so I was very familiar with the place. I figured we could have some fun on our DS bikes there too, so I decided my next organized ride would be there. I posted a notice inviting all DS riders to join me for a few hours of off-road riding. Four hardy souls responded to my call - Cody, Dave, Marco, and Claire (bobcat).
Cody is a co-worker and used to ride mx in his younger days. The last time he was on a mx bike on a mx course he crashed hard and broke several bones. After that particular incidient, his parents encouraged him to sell the bike and take up fishing (which he did). Now, I don't have anything against fishing, but you've got to admit that riding is just more exciting. Cody doesn't have a bike right now so I told him he could ride my spare bike. He showed up a 7 a.m. at my house and we prepped the bikes for the day's activities.
Cody's happy to be back on a bike.
Your 2 heros - for today that is.
We rolled out of my driveway at 7:30 and headed to the agreed upon meeting place - the Exxon station at 71/Riverside on the east side of Austin. Shortly after arriving, Claire showed up on her Wee-Strom. The three of us then departed for Cross Creek. A few miles short of Cross Creek, Marco passed us headed in the opposite direction. He was having difficulting finding the track and decided to ride south on Hwy 21 till he met up with us, then he executed a U-turn and followed us to CC.
We arrived at 9 a.m. and found my friend Dave waiting on us. I let Dave ride my KLR, after quickly orienting him to the bike.
We started off on the kids mx track. We were the only riders on the track so I knew it would be okay if we rode there. If there had been any kids around, we would have gotten off the track, but it was early and we had the track to ourselves. The advantage of the kids mx track is that it is not particularly rutted, making it easy, but still fun, to ride on our DS bikes.
Marco had not ridden off-road before, nor had he been on an mx track before. Dave and Cody were a bit out of practice, so we all started slow, getting used to the bikes, track, and jumps. At first everyone was rolling the jumps.
Marco
Dave
Cody was the first to get a little bit of air
Then things started to heat up a bit. I asked Marco to hit a particular corner a bit faster and to gas it as he came out of the turn to see if he could throw up a rooster tail. Doggone if he didn't do it like a real pro.
Marco getting jiggy wit it.
He didn't even crash.
Dave, on the same corner, at a saner speed.
Then I located myself next to the jump with the steepest take-off ramp and motioned to the riders to let me photograph them. Marco made the turn and accelerated for the jump. "Wow", says I, as I watch him rapidly approaching the jump, "he is really stepping it out. Must really want to get a lot of air." Little did I know that Marco didn't realize just how fast he was going or the true effect it was going to have on him and bike when he hit the ramp.
Marco's first air.
You've got to give him credit though. He launched it, landed it safely, and then rode it down like a seasoned rider. Only after he slowed to a stop did his hands start shaking from the rush of adrenaline.
After Marco made his run at the jump, Cody did the same thing. However, with his background in mx Cody knew what would happen if he hit the jump WFO, so he was a bit more reserved on his approach and got a little less air.
Once everyone was finished riding the kids track, Marco and I took off to go ride the trails in the back of the property. That went fine and neither of us had any problems. Once we exited the trail, I led us over to the beginner mx track for a little more fun. Unfortunately, Marco had picked up a thorn while riding the trails and his front tire went flat. He didn't realize he had a flat until he went over the 3rd of 5 jumps and his front end washed out on him on the landing. Down he and the bike went. He was a little banged up but not seriously injured. The bike, however, had a war wound. The bike would have probably been alright if the right crash guard hadn't actually smacked into the gas tank, denting it. Yep, the crash guard actually did all the damage.
Upon inspecting the crash guard we realized that the mounting system would let the crash guard protect the bike if it fell over on it's side while not moving. However, if the impact on the crash guard forced it backwards (as would be expected to happen if you fell over while riding the bike), the little mounting bolts were not up to the task. A bit under-engineered I think.
Close up look at the dented gas tank, dent courtesy of a less than adequate crash guard design
There was nothing we could do about the dent, but we sure could fix that flat. Marco has not previously fixed a flat, so I instructed/helped him with the job.
More tire surgery
I told Cody to go ride while we were fixing Marco's tire. He was gone a long time. Finally, he came back, with both his feet out as out-riggers. He too had a flat, and had crashed due to the flat. More flat fixing ensued.
We quickly got the tire off, tube patched and reinstalled, but there was a problem getting the Kenda tire to seat properly. It is a bit wider than standard and that seems to make it very difficult to get the tire properly seating on the rim. While trying to get it seated I believe I pinched the nealy patched tube because shortly after getting it all back together the tire went flat again. I borrowed Claire's fix-a-flat instead of tearing it all back apart again. I figured the fix-a-flat would get me back home and then I could put a new tube in it later on.
At this point, it was about 11:30 so we rode over to Elgin for BBQ at Crosstown BBQ.
Claire, Dave, & Cody ready to order.
Cody pondering important eating decisions.
Lunch is served.
After lunch, we headed back to Austin and ended our day of off-road riding. Not a bad day, all things considered, but it would have been even better if we had gotten in a bit more riding and a bit less flat fixing. Maybe next time.
Cody is a co-worker and used to ride mx in his younger days. The last time he was on a mx bike on a mx course he crashed hard and broke several bones. After that particular incidient, his parents encouraged him to sell the bike and take up fishing (which he did). Now, I don't have anything against fishing, but you've got to admit that riding is just more exciting. Cody doesn't have a bike right now so I told him he could ride my spare bike. He showed up a 7 a.m. at my house and we prepped the bikes for the day's activities.
Cody's happy to be back on a bike.
Your 2 heros - for today that is.
We rolled out of my driveway at 7:30 and headed to the agreed upon meeting place - the Exxon station at 71/Riverside on the east side of Austin. Shortly after arriving, Claire showed up on her Wee-Strom. The three of us then departed for Cross Creek. A few miles short of Cross Creek, Marco passed us headed in the opposite direction. He was having difficulting finding the track and decided to ride south on Hwy 21 till he met up with us, then he executed a U-turn and followed us to CC.
We arrived at 9 a.m. and found my friend Dave waiting on us. I let Dave ride my KLR, after quickly orienting him to the bike.
We started off on the kids mx track. We were the only riders on the track so I knew it would be okay if we rode there. If there had been any kids around, we would have gotten off the track, but it was early and we had the track to ourselves. The advantage of the kids mx track is that it is not particularly rutted, making it easy, but still fun, to ride on our DS bikes.
Marco had not ridden off-road before, nor had he been on an mx track before. Dave and Cody were a bit out of practice, so we all started slow, getting used to the bikes, track, and jumps. At first everyone was rolling the jumps.
Marco
Dave
Cody was the first to get a little bit of air
Then things started to heat up a bit. I asked Marco to hit a particular corner a bit faster and to gas it as he came out of the turn to see if he could throw up a rooster tail. Doggone if he didn't do it like a real pro.
Marco getting jiggy wit it.
He didn't even crash.
Dave, on the same corner, at a saner speed.
Then I located myself next to the jump with the steepest take-off ramp and motioned to the riders to let me photograph them. Marco made the turn and accelerated for the jump. "Wow", says I, as I watch him rapidly approaching the jump, "he is really stepping it out. Must really want to get a lot of air." Little did I know that Marco didn't realize just how fast he was going or the true effect it was going to have on him and bike when he hit the ramp.
Marco's first air.
You've got to give him credit though. He launched it, landed it safely, and then rode it down like a seasoned rider. Only after he slowed to a stop did his hands start shaking from the rush of adrenaline.
After Marco made his run at the jump, Cody did the same thing. However, with his background in mx Cody knew what would happen if he hit the jump WFO, so he was a bit more reserved on his approach and got a little less air.
Once everyone was finished riding the kids track, Marco and I took off to go ride the trails in the back of the property. That went fine and neither of us had any problems. Once we exited the trail, I led us over to the beginner mx track for a little more fun. Unfortunately, Marco had picked up a thorn while riding the trails and his front tire went flat. He didn't realize he had a flat until he went over the 3rd of 5 jumps and his front end washed out on him on the landing. Down he and the bike went. He was a little banged up but not seriously injured. The bike, however, had a war wound. The bike would have probably been alright if the right crash guard hadn't actually smacked into the gas tank, denting it. Yep, the crash guard actually did all the damage.
Upon inspecting the crash guard we realized that the mounting system would let the crash guard protect the bike if it fell over on it's side while not moving. However, if the impact on the crash guard forced it backwards (as would be expected to happen if you fell over while riding the bike), the little mounting bolts were not up to the task. A bit under-engineered I think.
Close up look at the dented gas tank, dent courtesy of a less than adequate crash guard design
There was nothing we could do about the dent, but we sure could fix that flat. Marco has not previously fixed a flat, so I instructed/helped him with the job.
More tire surgery
I told Cody to go ride while we were fixing Marco's tire. He was gone a long time. Finally, he came back, with both his feet out as out-riggers. He too had a flat, and had crashed due to the flat. More flat fixing ensued.
We quickly got the tire off, tube patched and reinstalled, but there was a problem getting the Kenda tire to seat properly. It is a bit wider than standard and that seems to make it very difficult to get the tire properly seating on the rim. While trying to get it seated I believe I pinched the nealy patched tube because shortly after getting it all back together the tire went flat again. I borrowed Claire's fix-a-flat instead of tearing it all back apart again. I figured the fix-a-flat would get me back home and then I could put a new tube in it later on.
At this point, it was about 11:30 so we rode over to Elgin for BBQ at Crosstown BBQ.
Claire, Dave, & Cody ready to order.
Cody pondering important eating decisions.
Lunch is served.
After lunch, we headed back to Austin and ended our day of off-road riding. Not a bad day, all things considered, but it would have been even better if we had gotten in a bit more riding and a bit less flat fixing. Maybe next time.
.
They were all trying to get me out there on the Wee, but I'm just not comfortable enough on dirt to do that. It just feels too big and heavy. And I think of broken mirrors and turn signals and plastics and $$$$. Perhaps some TKC's would help. Or yes, a 250 dirtbike. 
