RR: A Gathering of Dirtbags

[jeffj]

Since we had more of us out to ride this time and rode a different version of the normal route, I thought I'd go ahead and post a RR.

At first it looked like Los Pinetos would be the preferred destination and I felt like I'd have to skip out due to the relatively steep four+ mile climb and the current condition of my right knee.

But at the last minute, the group was recommending my local Castaic route which has considerably less vertical, a good warmup and easy bailouts if the knee protests too much.

We met at the Sports Complex and it was apparent right away that there would be more riders than usual.

Bret (b-40) had ridden the area before, but this was his first time riding with us. His new carbon Ibis Mojo is a thing of beauty and he has it finished off very nicely.

We started riding at 7:15 so it was still very mild. Since I was being cautious with my knee, I skipped out on the Junk Yard and ridge climb that the rest did and I went up the fire road where I would wait at about the four mile mark (a place we call the 'Meadow') and try to get some pics of them riding down the ridge.

I got there pretty quickly and had some time to kill...



I wish... (except for the pinhead part)


While I was waiting, a local that introduced himself as Eric came through trying to catch up with another group that had started before us.


The spot where I wanted catch them coming down the ridge is about 3/4 mile away by trail according to previous GPS files, but looks more like 1/2 mile to me.


A 10x zoom can reach out there quite a ways though and eventually I spotted a couple of them lining the horizon.


Ted's always willing to start off the decending festivities.


Then Randy and the others soon follow.






Ted has a choice to make. Crazy moto descent to his right or keep going straight... Live to ride another day.


Yet still have fun.










Bret, followed by Ted and then Mike and then Mike.


Bret has definitely found his m-o-j-o



I spent the rest of the ride manning the broom and just generally taking it easy so no more pics. We did a 2 lap session and nobody made any unscheduled deposits to the 'skin bank', so I would have to say it went pretty well. We must have had well over twenty riders (altogether, not all in our group) out on the trails today which is quite a lot. We stopped and yakked with some and I met some local riders I hadn't met before.

Four of us also went for the post ride grub session as good mexican food after a good ride rules

[b-40]

great rr Jeff

i'd like to add an almost get-off by 1080p

i was hot on 1080p's back tire(sorry for crowding ya) down the "2 mile smile" as Jeff likes to call it, when there was an off-cambered up down rise with a nice football size rock sticking out on the top, when 1080p crested it he cliped his crank arm on it and his back tire came about a foot and a half off the ground at the top of the crest and it seemed like he did a nose wheely down the other side almost going over the bars and i yealed out "oh $#*t" for both of us cuz if he went down i was sure to follow his soil sample, but 1080p kept it together without insident, if he didn't have to change his shorts after that i sure did. great save

[ddmansprty]

I had a great time yesterday. Was glad to meet a couple of new "Dirtbags".

Thanks for the report Jeff...It was really awesome to see so many riders out our way yesterday.

[1080P]

I think that rock went by undetected by my radar, but definetely not by my left crank. I really didn't have time to save anything, it was just me trying to get a neutral centered balance when the back end came way up.
I've really come to love being clipped in to my pedals. If I'd have tried to dab on that one, the results would have been ugly, for sure. Instead, I just stayed on the pedals, got my center of gravity back, and kept on. I don't really think I knew how close I was to "the edge" until B-40 gave me a review from his point of view. That was definitely a ride with "A Happy Ending"