Riding in St. Johns

[uniaddict]

Hey,

I got into St. Johns Newfoundland Canada about a week ago. Luckily before leaving I made a uni bag very similar to the one Ken Looi has, so I brought my trials and muni. Before I got here I researched some places to go ride muni. I found one place that looked like a lot of fun. It’s in an area called Whitehills in Quidi Vidi near the ocean.

When I first got out there to ride it was fairly rainy and foggy. I was lucky enough to meet up with some insane mountain bikers who showed me around. I had seen how crazy some of the trails were so I just asked them to start me off with an easy trail as a warm up.

So I ended up going on the so called cross country named The Rock Machine. To be honest I’m a pretty strong muni rider and I had a lot of trouble riding this trail, it’s nuts. Probably one of the hardest or maybe the hardest I’ve ever ridden. Makes most others I’ve been on look like a joke. I guess it didn’t help that it was really wet and slippy out, but even if it was dry it’s still a good challenge.

I tried it again a few days ago and I can definitely say that after riding that a couple times that my muni riding has gotten better after that. I’m starting to get the hang of the trail and I can ride some long sections without any dismounts. I think riding with mountain bikers is a good way to get better too. The guys I was with were all around my age or less. They all had really nice full suspension bikes, and just blew over all the rocks, roots and tree stumps. This helped motivate me to try to do the same and even though I ended up falling all over the trail and bouncing off trees I got better. I can ride 99% of the trail now fairly consistently and I’m more confident. Overall a lot of fun.

So if you’re ever in the area, you have to ride these trails. Here’s some pics.
Warning, I took a lot of pictures. I threw my muni in to get some perspective.

This one is just a section of the access trail.

The Rock Machine

The first two small drops.

A totally doable rock garden.

Rocks roots and tree stumps.

Crappy pic of me riding the previous pics secion.

The one part I chickened out on.

Real hard part, you have to weave through the two boulders up top.

This is a really cool skinny built into the side of that cliff on the right.

Really fun drop to rolling hop off of

Totally doable off the right side

[mbalmer]

Did you climb some of this or did you do all of this going downhill?

This looks beyond my ability, though I would like to try some of it going downhill. I am not able to climb anything with that amount of obstacles. I hope that is a problem I will get better at with time.

[uniaddict]

No this was all downhill. Riding up that would just be stupid anyway. It’s designed to be used as a downhill track. I couldn’t ride up much of that either, it’s hard enough going down.

[mango]

That’s gorgeous!

[MuniSano]

Sweet! If you’d told me those pictures were from the state park I ride regularly (Monte Sano) I’d believe you (except for the man made structures). Steep, rocks, roots, etc… that is what I learned to MUni on! I love it, but it is a lot of work especially when it is very hot and humid out and the vegetation starts to encroach on the trail. I hope to visit that area one day, you are very fortunate; make the most of it my man!

[jaco_flans]

Cool! I saddly thought that NewFoundland was one of the “nothing” part of Canada. I saw some pictures on TV and there was really nothing. Now I want to go there! I looks so awsome, that trail is wicked!

[muniing_sam]

Wow, what an awsome trail. Thanks for the photo’s and write up.