Just when I get comfortable riding my local trails mother nature throws a curve at me… All the leaves are coming down now, and with the rain it’s made my trails WAY harder. I’m slipping all over the wood/leaf covered bridges, I’m spinning out trying to climb the steeper sections, I can barely see the trails in some areas due to all the leaves making for some ‘fun’ rock/root surprises, at least it hasn’t affected the steep downhill parts… I can feel myself sliding but can keep it in control.
Not true, all that map shows is where maple trees can be found growing. It says nothing of the number of maple trees; the smaller area in Canada where they are growing could possibly have a much denser population of them.
I live right between the 2nd and 3rd dots from th left.
i have never seen a maple tree in South Dakota Wyoming Kansas Texas or half the places that are colored in on that map.
No I haven’t i’m not sure how to get hooked up with them. I’m finally feeling good enough that I should ride with some better people so I feel like a newbie again
Harper, John_Childs, tomblackwood, and I check into the list quite a bit so a PM to any of us will get you in touch. There is a local e-mail list that you can subscribe to.
And for the record: My comments above regarding blaming Canadians are not to be construed as disparaging to our neigbors to the North. Over half of my extended family are Canadians and I often end my sentences with “eh”.
Here are some facts you won’t find anywhere else, including wikipedia:
The US Flag originally called for maple leafs instead of stars. Due to her arthritis, Betsy Ross couldn’t handle the intricate cutting and stichery of the palmated leaf so she made an executive decision to go with stars that only involved simpler linear cuts.
In 1896 John Philip Sousa wrote “Leafs and Stripes Forever” to set the record straight but that was changed against his will to “Stars and Stripes Forever”.
We’ve had some rain as of late and this is the first time my local mountain bike club (KYMBA) has labeled my favorite trails as green “go ride” status. The temperature is a perfect 55 degrees fahrenheit. Nothing is stoping me today, right? Wrong! All the rocks and roots are covered by fallen leaves. It’s impossible to pick a smooth line. It’s a guessing game and these are trails that I know very well. Thank goodness I brought my 29er (to bridge the holes better than my 26er). It’s actually a good argument for Coker MUni. That and I can’t “spin-out” my 36er like I can my 29er. I was sliding all over the place out there and that was on a “dry” trail.
Poetry: Spring has sprung, fall has fell. Winter’s here and it’s cold as hell.
Much better riding today. I’m lucky to live close to awesome mountain bike trails with big banked turns. The traffic pattern through the leaves is much higher up the bank than the lower line that I’m accustom to taking. It forced me to take more chances but the payoff was huge! Much easier to build speed for the next hill. Great flow!
I’m finally feeling good enough that I should ride with some better people so I feel like a newbie again
