Here’s a thread to tell us about any rides you’ve planned that didn’t work out. This can be MUni, trials, street, coker, whatever. Basically, something beyond your control that made you have to abort your ride. Whether something happened as you were about to leave, en route, or after you got to your destination. Might have been an emergency phone call, car trouble, out of the blue thunder storm/weather related, or even lost your way and had to turn back.
I’ll start. Well, it had been raining the last couple days, but today was dry and so I decided to make a 120 mile round trip back to a trail that I’d only ridden once, over a year ago, but have been dying to go back a ride again. Up at 6am, out the door by 7am, and after a beautiful drive up the coast (N. on PCH) I arrived at the “Chumash” trail head, just across from the Point Mugu Naval base. This trail is quite steep, gaining nearly 1,000 feet in just the first .7 miles! Also quite technical and rocky, with some of the most amazing panoramic views from the summit.
After parking my car in the dirt turn out (There’s an ominous sign posted by the hwy patrol warning of theft: “Did you leave any valuables in your car? They won’t be there when you return!” Funny how it doesn’t say, “Might not be there…”, but simply “WON’T be there”. Wow. Anyway that sign was there last time too and no problems.
So I got all my gear on, put on my backpack, adjusted my saddle and off I went…for about 3 minutes! One thing I had feared, but was hoping wouldn’t be justified, was CLAY in the dirt. It’s no problem when dry, but after a good rain, and sometimes even for a few days after it stops, it unrideable. DAMN! Within just the first 20 feet of riding, my MUni tire was totally and completely CLOGGED with clay! It got so bad, so fast that the brake was acting as “dam”, and the wheel became locked and refused to turn! It was such a total and epic FAIL! 120 miles and nearly 4 hours of driving…for nothing!
Even though the trail has some rocky sections, the clay is everywhere and anywhere there is dirt, which is 98% of the trail. I couldn’t even hike it as my 5.10’s with the dot matrix soles were just as packed with clay, effectively eliminating all traction. I slipped and slided as I attempted to hike even the short distance back down! Oh well, at least it was a nice drive! 
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. By the time I got home from work the storm was only a drizzle. I hate when that happens. My favorite mountain biking was always in a downpour with mud (not the gunky mud Terry was talking about) and wind to knock you over. I was hoping for my first stormy MUni experience. Here’s hoping to a wet winter.
. It turns out the problem had been that I had gotten some grease on the axle threads. So I cleaned them w/ rubbing alcohol and put the cranks back on @ 45 ft lbs w/ blue locktite and haven’t had any problems since.