I'm assuming you didnt die today?
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Mountain Biking 2020
- Thread starter Jersey Skier
- Start date
- Status
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- Dec 20, 2015
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- 8,474
I had been toying with the idea of a new bike for quite some time. Unsure if I wanted to replace the old one, or add to the quiver. I stumbled upon a deal I could not resist. I've now taken three rides and enjoy it more and more each time. The Santa Cruz Bronson has joined the family (and was officially christened with it's first scratch this weekend... 
).
Took a trip up to Burke; rode the Moose Haven trails the first afternoon, then rode lift access all day Saturday. I spent half the day on my downhill rig, and then decided to take the Bronson out for a few runs. So. Much. Fun.
Even though I was pretty beat after a full day of riding in the sun, I decided to ride the 6.5 miles back to the campsite...couldn't resist stopping in this spot to take a photo.
).Took a trip up to Burke; rode the Moose Haven trails the first afternoon, then rode lift access all day Saturday. I spent half the day on my downhill rig, and then decided to take the Bronson out for a few runs. So. Much. Fun.
Even though I was pretty beat after a full day of riding in the sun, I decided to ride the 6.5 miles back to the campsite...couldn't resist stopping in this spot to take a photo.
Sweet bike!
I test rode my neighbor's 'Chuck' before buying my 5010. It was sweet. Enjoy!
I actually bought this one off a guy named Chuck, ha! The 5010 was the one I've been eying up for awhile. Had I gone that route, it would have replaced my old Scott Genius, where the Bronson seems to complement it...although for something with 150/160mm travel, it climbs much better than I expected.
I was torn between the two. The decider was that the 5010 was on super-sale and there were no comparable Bronson's available. I have no regrets.
.
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Finally found the magic bus at Powder Mountain.
Rode more of the freshly minted trails nearby-legs got scratched up from all the roots and branches that still need to be trimmed, but it’s going to be a hoot when it’s finished and packed. Nice views along the ride:
Rode more of the freshly minted trails nearby-legs got scratched up from all the roots and branches that still need to be trimmed, but it’s going to be a hoot when it’s finished and packed. Nice views along the ride:
Where's the PugSki sticker?
We have assorted snowmachines and an IH Scout along our trails. I haven't stickered them. :-(
Day 2. Racing Grouse was insane, usually you stop constantly and evaluate drops, etc. Then to the top of Soda Mountain and a 5 mile leg. So brutal, 25+ mins and about 4K descent without stopping. I think at one point my brain decided my right index finger no longer existed and I had to stop and just shake it.
@Tom K. these apps hugely understate calorie burn for sure. A war of attrition. 4th place in Masters Men 50+.
25 DNF in total, surprised there weren’t more. Pics to come.
I was only hoping to win beer, mission accomplished.
@Tom K. these apps hugely understate calorie burn for sure. A war of attrition. 4th place in Masters Men 50+.
25 DNF in total, surprised there weren’t more. Pics to come.
I was only hoping to win beer, mission accomplished.
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I always hope they underestimate the average watts..... 
I always hope they underestimate the average watts.....
Vastly.
Well this is mostly just scenery and race stage starts, because no pics while racing.
Day 1 - circumnavigating Nipple Peak 30 miles north of Steamboat.
Stage 1 - no warmup, straight into racing. Turns out that is hard to do. I blew 2 early corners and didn’t settle in until the end of the leg.
Nipple Peak, southeast side. We end up back here.
Stage 2 is a short rip down a drainage trail after an 10 mile transfer leg - we ride a ton of this on the Front Range, right at home and relatively fast and very short leg. Great shakeout after the transfer
Stage 3 is after a grinder back to ridgeline. Tons of moondust, hike-a-bike chutes, and general grunt work. This is about 2 miles long and full of rock gardens, root drops, blown out switchbacks, with pedal sections across flat areas. Uphill fitness is great, but you have to spend DH time like at a ski resort to be competitive here.
After stage 3, there is a fun rip down a wash trail as the first part of the transfer. In your head, you are thinking “this is bad, what goes down has to go back up”. And it is bad. The stage 3-4 transfer is named on Strava as “When will this hill ever end?!?”. Never. 1:17 to go 2.7 miles.
First is steep chute moondust hike-a-bike and then a nasty grade that you hate to walk but is 50t granny gear over endless roots and rocks and it never ends, if there was a cliff, bikes may be thrown over the edge. But it right when you are ready to lie down and die on Everest you see people sitting not just on the side of the trail. Abd you race 1.5 miles down into classic chalk chutes that prevail at around 8K elevation. These are oddly comforting.
And then stage 5 is back down the transfer spur we climbed out of stage 1. After some early chalky chutes super skinny scree traversing, it goes fall line and you get into gear 12 and 30+ mph. Much stoke to scream across day 1 finish line.
No shuttles due to COVID, my ultra runner son was our shuttle. He did 20 miles out in the Zirkels while we rode - the “bizerkel” loop or some such insanity.
Day 1 - circumnavigating Nipple Peak 30 miles north of Steamboat.
Stage 1 - no warmup, straight into racing. Turns out that is hard to do. I blew 2 early corners and didn’t settle in until the end of the leg.
Nipple Peak, southeast side. We end up back here.
Stage 2 is a short rip down a drainage trail after an 10 mile transfer leg - we ride a ton of this on the Front Range, right at home and relatively fast and very short leg. Great shakeout after the transfer
Stage 3 is after a grinder back to ridgeline. Tons of moondust, hike-a-bike chutes, and general grunt work. This is about 2 miles long and full of rock gardens, root drops, blown out switchbacks, with pedal sections across flat areas. Uphill fitness is great, but you have to spend DH time like at a ski resort to be competitive here.
After stage 3, there is a fun rip down a wash trail as the first part of the transfer. In your head, you are thinking “this is bad, what goes down has to go back up”. And it is bad. The stage 3-4 transfer is named on Strava as “When will this hill ever end?!?”. Never. 1:17 to go 2.7 miles.
First is steep chute moondust hike-a-bike and then a nasty grade that you hate to walk but is 50t granny gear over endless roots and rocks and it never ends, if there was a cliff, bikes may be thrown over the edge. But it right when you are ready to lie down and die on Everest you see people sitting not just on the side of the trail. Abd you race 1.5 miles down into classic chalk chutes that prevail at around 8K elevation. These are oddly comforting.
And then stage 5 is back down the transfer spur we climbed out of stage 1. After some early chalky chutes super skinny scree traversing, it goes fall line and you get into gear 12 and 30+ mph. Much stoke to scream across day 1 finish line.
No shuttles due to COVID, my ultra runner son was our shuttle. He did 20 miles out in the Zirkels while we rode - the “bizerkel” loop or some such insanity.
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Is that sand as slow as it looks?
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