Pic of the Day

Finally some snow …but not the right stuff. Melting fast and too slippery.
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A 15-17% grade on snowy fire roads was just too much. However, not much snow on the trails. I rode past an old impossible feature and tried a few others.
 
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It was raining in southern California (😱 I know), so we headed to Arizona for some dry and sunny weather. We camped for the week at McDowell Mtn Park near Phoenix. All was good for a couple of days until horror of horrors clouds appeared one evening:

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The next morning we were able to get out before the rain started. Judging by the greenery it must indeed also rain even in the Sonoran desert.
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Fortunately, the trails were in great shape , and we were having too much fun to miss the usual bluebird skies.
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It was raining in southern California (😱 I know), so we headed to Arizona for some dry and sunny weather. We camped for the week at McDowell Mtn Park near Phoenix. All was good for a couple of days until horror of horrors clouds appeared one evening:

View attachment 173882

The next morning we were able to get out before the rain started. Judging by the greenery it must indeed also rain even in the Sonoran desert.
View attachment 173883

Fortunately, the trails were in great shape , and we were having too much fun to miss the usual bluebird skies.
View attachment 173884
Yeah it rained lightly here for a day or two last week. It was actually the perfect amount of rain because it was enough to help create hero dirt, but not enough to cause ruts.
 
No photo - too cold - but we had a run around the place last night & didn't see a single other rider. Never happens that we have the south downs all to ourselves but we did yesterday!
 
It was raining in southern California (😱 I know), so we headed to Arizona for some dry and sunny weather. We camped for the week at McDowell Mtn Park near Phoenix. All was good for a couple of days until horror of horrors clouds appeared one evening:

View attachment 173882

The next morning we were able to get out before the rain started. Judging by the greenery it must indeed also rain even in the Sonoran desert.
View attachment 173883

Fortunately, the trails were in great shape , and we were having too much fun to miss the usual bluebird skies.
View attachment 173884
So, you can't trust anything in the US anymore. :unsure:
Rain in Arizona...
 
So, you can't trust anything in the US anymore. :unsure:
Rain in Arizona...
Yep, a bit too damp to ride this morning, but it should dry out soon.
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We did get to admire this specimen of cholla or “Teddy Bear” cactus. The stems on the ground have dropped off to propagate. You have to watch for them on the trails as they’re a real tire puncture hazard.
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Headed down to the South Island for a holiday and to see family down here.
My big bro took me out for a ride at Bike Glendhu in Wanaka. What a glorious spot!
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Auld man Rambling. Here's another Loch Glendhu . WW2 they trained then towed mini subs from here to a Fjord in Norway. Operation Source , to sink the Tirpitz they managed to put it out of action for a long time.. Above us the Waves is a great old movie about it.

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Yep, a bit too damp to ride this morning, but it should dry out soon.
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My memory was jogged by your "too damp to ride" picture. A buddy and I were met by this one morning. Looks like there had been a tractor meet.
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For scale, that rut on the left is four feet deep (1.22m). I measured it!
The kicker is that the mud is that super sticky Lincolnshire clay mud, awful stuff! :eek:
When it dries out, the clay mud will set like brick and it will take a biblical flood to level it out.
 
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For scale, that rut on the left is four feet deep (1.22m). I measured it!
The kicker is that the mud is that super sticky Lincolnshire clay mud, awful stuff! :eek:
When it dries out, the clay mud will set like brick and it will take a biblical flood to level it out.
Looks like a farmers field , hope your not trespassing
 
Looks like a farmers field , hope your not trespassing
Nope! That is part of the Viking Way, an ancient public bridleway. Farmers are using it to move their farm vehicles around their land. I don't know what the law says, but that is perilously close to impassable. Do they have any responsibility to leave it navigable?

Edit: Of course it may be a deliberate policy to restrict access by the public.
 
Nope! That is part of the Viking Way, an ancient public bridleway. Farmers are using it to move their farm vehicles around their land. I don't know what the law says, but that is perilously close to impassable. Do they have any responsibility to leave it navigable?

Edit: Of course it may be a deliberate policy to restrict access by the public.
Get off my land .
 
AKA “Jumping Cholla”.
They don’t discriminate and llove hikers as well as bikers -

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Being friendly buggers the spines have little barbs so they “stick with you” 🤣

These get left behind when you try to pull them off
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Be sure to use tire sealant and to take a comb and some small pliers or vice-grips riding in the desert
 
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A horse in a blanket or Batman...either way it's the Caped Crusader 😀....so Batman it is. Although my Spidey senses are telling me I've seen a very similar picture years ago..think that a medieval knight in a field (on a supposedly haunted road) which turned out to be a red deer stag 🦌?
 
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I typically ride only spiked tires in winter but it has been atypical winter so went out with summer tires. Wanted test how DB8’s work on fresh -7 degrees and same thing with AXS. Everything worked well, I’m really suprised how good brakes those DB8 have been. Not most powerfull but works in every weather and those original brake bads have been really good. But last time I go out with 55% battery in winter 😂
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those original brake bads have been really good.

Jepp Sram pades are very good and I prefer the organic not metal version. one day you should try out Galfer purple pads (semi organic) they are better in all types of weather, breaking style but costly.
But that's just my experience.
 
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Jepp Sram pades are very good and I prefer the organic not metal version. one day you should try out Galfer purple pads (semi organic) they are better in all types of weather, breaking style and costly.
But that's just my experience.
Yeah, those are organic and I agree Galfer Purples, I have them on all of my other bikes and brakes 😀
 
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