any mountain bikers here...

I can often be found hanging on to my 40 freeride bike, screaming, as I try and ride it through the forest without smoking a tree.

For knives, I carry a serrated Spyderco Native on the shoulder strap of my pack, a Benchmade 220 Fixed Resistor on my belt strap, (cougar/bear shank) a small Valiant golok in my pack for clearing trail, and a Leatherman Juice with my tool kit.

Here's me; http://sookebikes.com/shoptour.php

I went to SC many years ago with my buddy for an mtb adventure in my VW bus, which I still have, and we had an awesome time. We met some great people who totally welcomed us into their scene. It was a great time, and an indelible memory I'll always carry. I love SC!:D
 
Lorien said:
I can often be found hanging on to my 40 freeride bike, screaming, as I try and ride it through the forest without smoking a tree.

For knives, I carry a serrated Spyderco Native on the shoulder strap of my pack, a Benchmade 220 Fixed Resistor on my belt strap, (cougar/bear shank) a small Valiant golok in my pack for clearing trail, and a Leatherman Juice with my tool kit.

Here's me; http://sookebikes.com/shoptour.php

I went to SC many years ago with my buddy for an mtb adventure in my VW bus, which I still have, and we had an awesome time. We met some great people who totally welcomed us into their scene. It was a great time, and an indelible memory I'll always carry. I love SC!:D
Click to expand...

right on lorien...:thumbup: cool pic...:D i would love to get over to BC one of these days and ride.... there are a lot of amazing riders these days, most of them hailing from BC... from what i see, some of the terrain looks very similar to what we have here...:)
 
Started out XC/touring in the early '90s in high school, evolved into Shore/Urban riding here in Vancouver in the late '90s, and then ended my riding days as a regular Whistler rider in about 2005. Had my daughter in 2006, and the bike's been hanging in the basement ever since... :(. It's tough to just hop on for a local ride when the bike weighs close to 50 lbs and has no front shifter, LOL. My riding buddy is determined to drag me out this season for some A-Line runs, even on my crusty old rig!
After some of the stuff I witnessed at Whistler, I started carrying a small blow-out FAK with first-responder gear to keep the crashee breathing and stop bleeding until the EMTs arrived. Other than that, basic FAK, bike tools, Leatherman, spare parts/tubes, zap straps, latex gloves, matches/Bic, 2 or 3 Powerbars, duct tape, flashlight, surplus German sewing kit, full water bladder and some kind of "-ade" in a bottle.
D1.jpg
 
I live in San Jose, not to far from Santa Cruz. I ride a motorcycle and usually do the back roads of Santa Cruz. I really want to start Mountain biking, but have no idea what bike to get. Budget is pretty low, so a used would be nice.
 
udtjim said:
I did until I broke my foot. I hope to get back to it this spring.
Click to expand...

*edit to finish thought.. must go to bed*
Bah.. I broke my foot in a BMX park on my trials bike, and rode for another hour on it, and then my wife had to help me hop into the ER where they pronounced one of my metatarsals DOA. I did a DH race on a badly sprained foot, lotsa tape. Popped a few T3s, and taped the snot out of it until I could put my weight on it:D. Broken foot, sprained the left ankle and/or foot several times, cracked ribs, one fractured skull, sprained hand (thumb was the first thing that hit the ground on a bail... that was fun) Ahh... memories. :)
 
here's a photo of the ole sled, and the other is one of me shredding the snow. Obviously got my good side;)
 

Attachments

  • 07 Birthday ride 003.jpg
    07 Birthday ride 003.jpg
    41.6 KB · Views: 21
  • 07 Birthday ride 013.jpg
    07 Birthday ride 013.jpg
    44.3 KB · Views: 22
I bought my first MTB in 1983 or 84. I enjoy riding on the road more than I do on the trails, although I still get out on the MTBs now and then. I'd rather hike than ride trails as a general rule.

As for what I carry when I ride, I don't go overboard. Some tools, a patch kit, Gu, extra tubes, water and a knife of course. :D Sometimes I will pack a space blanket and some extra gear, it just depends on where I'm going.
 
MRpink said:
I live in San Jose, not to far from Santa Cruz. I ride a motorcycle and usually do the back roads of Santa Cruz. I really want to start Mountain biking, but have no idea what bike to get. Budget is pretty low, so a used would be nice.
Click to expand...

Keep an eye on craigslist! You should be able to find something decent for around $150, or you can go to a bike shop, get properly fitted, and get something nice for $300.

I got mine for about $150 off craigslist, but if I were to do it again, I would have spent the extra to get a brand new one that is the proper size, etc. Even if it was twice as much, I would probably never have to replace it, plus some shop include free tune ups. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Doh2.gif
 
stingray4540 said:
Keep an eye on craigslist! You should be able to find something decent for around $150, or you can go to a bike shop, get properly fitted, and get something nice for $300.

I got mine for about $150 off craigslist, but if I were to do it again, I would have spent the extra to get a brand new one that is the proper size, etc. Even if it was twice as much, I would probably never have to replace it, plus some shop include free tune ups. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Doh2.gif
Click to expand...

mrpink--- craigslist is a good way to go...:thumbup: you can find some deals on there for sure... also check your local bike shops, sometimes you can find used bikes on consignment...:thumbup:
 
mtnfolk mike said:
i have been an avid mtn. bike rider for the past 15-16 years or so.... we have endless amounts of trails here, including epic rides right out my front door... santa cruz is fairly well known for their mtn. biking... we have everything from hardcore downhill trails to really long cross country rides.. there is also a SANTA CRUZ bike company, which is putting out some of the best mtn. bikes on the market... i have one..:D
i rode a single speed mtn.bike for about 6 years, up until i had my first knee surgery 5 years ago... i then was forced to add gears to my bike...:( now i ride an 8 speed...:D it is a hard tail.. a SANTA CRUZ CHAMELEON.. i love this bike. it's like a BMX on steroids...:D

after this last knee surgery at the end of jan. i think that i'm ready to start riding again.. i got the okay from my doctor and my physical therapist... so i have been slowly tuning up my bike over these past few days, to get it all ready to go... it's been quite a few months since i have ridden...:( the weather has been sooo nice here lately... i can't wait to get back on some single track again...
i'll try and get some pics up of my bike after i put it all back together.. it's in pieces right now...

i'll ride just about anything these days, but i love loooooong epic rides... usually ranging from 15-30 miles... sometimes more.. i have even gone on a bunch of overnighters on my bike, packing extremely lightweight..
me being the overly prepared guy that i am, i tend to carry a lot of gear... just in case... i was going through my camelbak H.A.W.G. yesterday and thought i would snap a pic of all of the gear i carry while i ride.. there are a few items missing... including a small headlamp...

WHAT DO YOU ALL CARRY WHILE RIDING..
Click to expand...

Hey Mike,

I've enjoyed reading your posts and seeing pictures of you and your family, so thought I'd respond to this thread.

I rode mountain bikes in the foothills near Placerville ever since they started making 'em -- about '88, I got my first Fisher 40+ pound bike. It was a tank, but what a great new world it was! Now I ride a Specialized Enduro Comp -- love that travel and the disc brakes.

I had knee surgery about 3 years ago to repair my meniscus, and riding my bike was about the first thing I could do. With the clipless pedals, I was able to mostly use my good leg and let the slowly healing one sort of drag along after it. Biking is one of the best ways you can get yourself back in shape, after knee surgery (or so I've been told). Just don't start out with those epic rides!

I carry a lot of gear when I ride, partly because I want to, and partly because it doesn't matter if I have a 10 pound pack -- I already weigh 220 and am a kind of relaxed rider, so I'm not gonna be the first guy up the hill anyway.

I think the basics everyone should have in their pack are the same for a bike ride as a hike: water, extra food, cell phone, light, wallet, and some kind of small knife. Then of course there's the tire patch kit, tools, RAT7, Glock 20, etc.

Enjoy that wonderful weather for me! Here in the Puget Sound area it's been cold and even snowing a bit. We'll have to postpone our muddy slogs through the woods for a bit longer.

Had to stick in a shot from a few years ago of my Schwinn Homegrown, taken on a climbing trip to Vantage, WA (aka Frenchman Coulee):
attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • 022_22 - small for web.jpg
    022_22 - small for web.jpg
    37.8 KB · Views: 118
well... it's a little late... but i finally snapped a few pics of my trusty steed...:D this thing loves to fly down hills... it's not too bad at climbing either...

it's an 8 speed SANTA CRUZ CHAMELEON... i love this bike... it's like an overgrown BMX... it was set up as a single speed for a long time, until the first knee surgery happend...:thumbdn: then the doc said, "no more single speeds"...:(

IMG_1991.jpg

IMG_1986.jpg
 
Mountainman38 said:
9 surgeries?! That sucks. Was it from the Harley or a pedal powered ride?
Click to expand...

I smashed up the Harley. I only ride peddle power off road becaws I'm less likley to go fast enough to do serrious damage. Dr said maybe in 3 weeks i'll be back on 2 legs. I checked on me Trek and with a new set of tires it'll be good to go.
 
I used to mountain bike every day during the week, and all day on Saturdays. I fell an awful lot but it was fun. I had a sweet Specialized S-Works hardtail, very light and fast. My buddies stopped riding, and I gradually did too and ended up selling it.
Just recently I got a low end Ironhorse for cruising around and taking in the local hills.
 
My current ride:
DSC_0066.jpg


Generally I pack a SAK, a small fixed blade (In Kydex!), small sized bicyling tools, 2 spare inner tubes, some energy gels and an energy bar or two. I dress based on weather, etc... Generally all is packed in a Camelbak Mule w/ room to spare. Love the Bontrager!! Super fast and super nimble. Pre-Trek, 1992 frame back when they were hand built in Keith's Santa Cruz shop.

Getting a Specialized Enduro SL Expert soon (month or so). In ugly orange!!
07EnduroSLExp_Org_l.jpg
 
I used to ride at least five days a week for about 22 miles in a wooded area near home. Got a dog bite, got infected blah blah....got back on yesterday am when I finally felt the thumb would not explode if i crashed and landed on it. About 3 miles in, my back twanged me good and I flinched enough to jump the rear wheel off the track and crashed. So now I'm off the bike again until my back heals. I ride a GT avalanche LE but I may need to go to a soft tail if my back does not improve. Excellent exercise though and fun. When I first restarted riding about a year and a half ago, I had high cholestrol, high blood sugar and high triglycerides along with high BP. After six monts of daily twenty milers for about 5 days a week, all my numbers were better than in HS (30 years ago). Getting back on can be tough when you were used to being in shape but the body remembers very quickly. First day I barely went five miles and had to stop and rest twice. Within 3 weeks I was doing 20 a day with no problem, and that endorphin high is better than any drug I ever tried!
 
Mountain Biking since mid ninties, I live on wetlands and I love riding through shallow water.

I carry a small folder and tool kit in my Camelbak Mule because I tend to fly over the handle bars from time to time. So I try to minimize Injury
 
jeepnut, dood I have the exact same bike! Actually I have two Bontragers: one of them is identical to yours, but bent in half from a miscalculation on my part, and the other is gloss black with no decals, and I use it to tow my daughter around. One of the best handbuilt mtbs ever.

You are going to cream your jeans with that new ride you have planned.
Welcome to 2008!
 
Jeepnut22 said:
Getting a Specialized Enduro SL Expert soon (month or so). In ugly orange!!
07EnduroSLExp_Org_l.jpg
Click to expand...

That Enduro is a sweet ride. I've got an '05 Enduro Comp, and really enjoy it.
It's got good travel, good discs, and a comfortable riding position.
Your Expert should have even better shocks, which is the one thing I'd like to change on mine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top