This is a fire trail network in our area called Cascades. Lots of climbing and descending, a great training area for events with a bit of climbing. What follows is the fun bit.
Due to all the rain and then winds over the last few days, there is a lot of loose rocks, sand and vegetation litter scattered all over and no real clean line. Normally we absolutely belt down here, getting air off the water bars is fun, but today we were feeling a little nervous and took it cautiously.
Despite the caution I have a brown trousers moment at about 2 minutes in. The funny thing is it doesn't look like much at normal speed. I thought, "it felt a lot worse than that". It was only when I slowed it down to 1/8 speed that I saw the handlebars flicked left at about 30 degrees to catch the slide for the merest fraction of a second, maybe four frames.
It's weird how that happens. I would not have thought my reflexes were that fast.
Fast fire trails
- trailgumby
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Fast fire trails
Postby trailgumby » Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:44 pm
- ldrcycles
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Re: Fast fire trails
Postby ldrcycles » Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:26 pm
Looks like fun. I've gotta say though mate, you were really lucky not to be seriously injured there. Half your forks are completely missing! .
- trailgumby
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Re: Fast fire trails
Postby trailgumby » Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:02 am
Yeah, I get lots of funny looks, even now when I've been riding the things for 4+ years.
The best one was when I was taking a friend and his son around Manly Dam (big mistake - never take people around there for their first mountain bike ride, much too intimidating), and I messed up my line through 19th Hole so I went back quickly to do it over. He was waiting down the bottom, took one look at the bike and - thinking I'd had a really bad crash - said "DUUUDE! What happened to your BIKE?! "
Next best was when I'd organised a ride for out-of-towners around Manly Dam through our local rider networking site, nobmob.com.
One guy asked me at the start what was up with my fork and I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "Oh, it fell off one day and I ended up putting the other half on my son's bike. " He kept on asking about it in really concerned tones for the rest of the ride, clearly worried about my safety until I could bear it no longer and put the guy out of his misery, finally telling him back at the car park "Actually, it's meant to be like that, it's called a Lefty. Here, take it for a spin "
The best one was when I was taking a friend and his son around Manly Dam (big mistake - never take people around there for their first mountain bike ride, much too intimidating), and I messed up my line through 19th Hole so I went back quickly to do it over. He was waiting down the bottom, took one look at the bike and - thinking I'd had a really bad crash - said "DUUUDE! What happened to your BIKE?! "
Next best was when I'd organised a ride for out-of-towners around Manly Dam through our local rider networking site, nobmob.com.
One guy asked me at the start what was up with my fork and I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "Oh, it fell off one day and I ended up putting the other half on my son's bike. " He kept on asking about it in really concerned tones for the rest of the ride, clearly worried about my safety until I could bear it no longer and put the guy out of his misery, finally telling him back at the car park "Actually, it's meant to be like that, it's called a Lefty. Here, take it for a spin "
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- trailgumby
- Posts: 15469
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:30 pm
- Location: Northern Beaches, Sydney
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Re: Fast fire trails
Postby trailgumby » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:42 pm
I'm waiting for one to come out with the dodgy dingle-sided fork at a reasonable price.
Will need to wait a couple of years as I just spent a few $k upgrading last March.
Will need to wait a couple of years as I just spent a few $k upgrading last March.
- Mugglechops
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Re: Fast fire trails
Postby Mugglechops » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:15 pm
Another good video. I am waiting to get a Go Pro so I can do a new version of this fast fire trail.
Filmed in 2004
Filmed in 2004
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Re: Fast fire trails
Postby Fred Nurk » Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:50 pm
Scalpel 29er's are here. I must admit I'm no fan of flexing seatstays, and more travel would be better, but they're coming.trailgumby wrote:I'm waiting for one to come out with the dodgy dingle-sided fork at a reasonable price.
Will need to wait a couple of years as I just spent a few $k upgrading last March.
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