RR: Harding/Joplin/Luge 2007-01-07

[kentonn]

Alright, let me get this thread started. Hopefully, others will join in because I have no pictures and can remember like five user names at best...

Let me start by saying this ride was an incredibly enjoyable! It was almost like three different rides; each ride contributing something different. Harding & Main Divide offered a long and sometimes challenging climb. Joplin provided us with technical challenges that successfully dismounted several riders. STT and Luge as always, gave us plenty of flow and speed.

There were eight rider's in our group: CalEpic, Outlaw, Shinken, Dell, Sauce, ?, ? and myself. Of the eight riders, three or four were on SS which was really impressive considering the long ride up Harding with strong head winds. The weather, with the exception of winds was pretty nice and the skies clear.

There wasn't much to report about Harding except the wind was a real b*tch!!! I kept my head down the whole time and tried to make myself as small as possible. The climb broke us up into two groups of four. I do not know how long the first group waited at Four Corners, but thanks for hanging out. Having the whole group together at Joplin really made the ride.

I know that everyone was feeling a little worked by the time we reached Joplin. The first mile or so, I was so tired that I was barely able to hang on to my bike. This of course, set us up for the crashes.

I think I had the first and second crash with an over-the-bars and a off-the-trail. This was followed by Sauce who went to the air in a big way (was it six or thirteen feet?) as she went off the trail on a sharp turn. Hopefully someone took pictures of the carnage. Outlaw took the fourth crash which could have been much worse as he nearly took a branch to the eye. Other than that, everyone had a few dabs here and there but no major injuries.

Joplin dealt us some crashes but also plenty of mechs. I got a pinch flat at the first creek crossing. Outlaw with a record three flats at once picked up a fourth flat on STT beating my personal 'most flats in one ride' record. Shinken broke a chain at the Old Camp fire ring and Sauce flatted by the time we reached the clearing.

CalEpic set a fun and face pace down STT. We regrouped at the Flag then bombed the Luge which was a perfect finish for an excellent ride.

Thanks to all the riders for an enjoyable day!

[Keith B]

Damn - wish I'd not wimped out now. Although I read that the Warriors swept alot of Joplin last weekend so I'm going to give this ride a blast soon.

[Geronimo]

Great RR Kentonn. " It's like three different rides" is a good description of that route. Joplin must be a real adrenaline trip on a SS. Wish I was there.

[CalEpic]

Thanks for getting this started Ken - As I mentioned in the Palm Canyon thread, I was worked before this ride started and am not sure what I was thinking doing this. I was hurting big time on the climb up Harding. I know Justin, Jeff, Jose and Sauce were waiting for a while at 4 corners for the rest of us. Thanks guys. We even had a guest appearance from Carl who joined us for the rest of the ride. I had forgotten the loose steep climb on Main Divide on the way to Joplin. This was a second helping of pain for me. Fortunately the wind that was beating us down on the way up Harding would occasionally give me a push up Main Divide. It was awesome to feel the wind push you uphill . Once we arrived at Joplin I was feeling much better knowing most of the climbing was over. Joplin was brushed the day before and it was awesome. Thanks to Share? for that. This is a pretty gnarly trail and as Ken said, there were more than a couple diggers taken on the way down. Ken, Sara, Jeff and Mark - I hope the bruises aren't too bad. Did I miss anyone? I was loving every minute of this descent even with a few dabs. Thankfully I remained on the bike. Mark's double flat near Old Camp was worsened when I helped him change a tube and pinched the new one in the process. Sorry

Dell, Mark and I finished it off with some tasty grub and beers at Wahoo's. That capped off an excellent ride.

Here's my only pic. It's for George (It's not really poison oak but it looks pretty close eh?)

[Pain Freak]

Sure looks like PO.

I can feel George cringing as I look at this.

[kentonn]

Originally Posted by El Borracho

Great RR Kentonn. " It's like three different rides" is a good description of that route. Joplin must be a real adrenaline trip on a SS. Wish I was there.

Yeah, wish you could have made it. I know that this is your ride!

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Sure looks like PO.

I can feel George cringing as I look at this.

I don't think anyone was ready to prove it wasn't PO.

Originally Posted by CalEpic

As I mentioned in the Palm Canyon thread, I was worked before this ride started and am not sure what I was thinking doing this.

Pretty strong for being worked!

[klutter]

I thought the wind was suppose to die down on Sunday, but I guess not. Sunday's victims consisted of: Craig, Mark, Jose, Dell, Sara, Matt, Kent, Jeff and myself. All nine of us took off from Cook's a little late, no thanks to me. The head wind was a real pain while climbing up Harding. You know your'e in trouble when you have to pedal downhill. At the top we caught up with Carl. He had started a bit earlier, but decided to join us for the trip down Joplin.

Joplin wasn't as rutted out as I last remembered, but it was just as loose. About a third of the way down I heard Sara screaming and immediately thought she had broken something. Jose was the first on the scene and was inspecting the carnage. We both assessed that Sara's bike was ok and then turned our attention to her. I don't know how the crash happened, but I do know that she:

• Fell head first onto a rock
• Slid a good 10-15' down the side of the trail on some rocks
• Came to a stop on a rock

After a few minutes, she collected herself and climbed back up the side of the trail as if almost nothing happened. We regrouped with the group a few hundred yards further down the trail. Past the halfway point, Mark flatted two of his tires. And then managed to flatten a third, even without getting on the bike. Not to be outdone, Jose awed the group at Old Camp with his super human strength by snapping his chain. Sara got a flat on the climb out of Old Camp. About a half mile into the STT descent, Mark got his fourth flat. We regrouped at the flagpole and continued back to Cook's without incident.

[Pho'dUp]

Nice meeting, riding and falling with you guys. I am terrible with names/screen names so if I butcher yours or mis ID you my apologies. Somebody, I think Justin? got a great view of my digger about 1/4 way down Joplin. Next time I'll be sure to set my alarm clock so I don't oversleep and cheat by parking at the Harding gate. I ended up actually getting a headstart on you guys but got reeled in/dropped by Jeff and Justin a couple miles from 4 corners. Those guys were hammering away into the wind.

Sara, hope you're feeling better, but good job toughing it out after a nasty crash.

So Jeff, you clean the blood off your bike yet?

Jose, Thanks for providing the finest taxi service driving me over Modjeska grade after the ride. I was way too cooked to pedal that hill.

To all the guys on fully rigs, man you guys were fast on Joplin. Never saw you guys till it was time to fix those flats tires.

Hope to see you guys again soon.

Carl

[LBmtb]

Man, sounds like a wild ride! I was actually planning on showing up but hit the snooze button too many times. However once I saw craig's photo I didn't feel so bad about not going . Sarah hasn't posted yet - I'd like to hear her analysis and reaction of that mighty crash she had. Thanks for the RR, guys!

[outlaw]

sorry It has taken me so long to say something!! I've been busy tube shopping also found the shifting problems I had after the crash on joplin. tonight when i got home, It looks like I ripped 99% of the cable out of my shifter on the crash, I think there was two threads left holdin it toghether, Anyway thanks to you all for coming, and waiting for my slow ass, and tire malfunctions. also,thanks ken for starting the ride report, you really nailed it

P.S thanks for the Extra tubes matt, and craig "BTW craigs got the longest valve stems Ive ever seen" sorry ladys he is married

[guero]

great RR everyone. i sold my bike saturday night and didnt have a climbable bike available to ride. i really want to do joplin again!

[singletrakk]

It was a long journey to say the least,but after a day of reflecting on it I'll have to say it was a hell of an adventure.Joplin was very tech and sketchy as usual.Great training ride to test that endurance.
Nice meeting you Carl.Hope to see out there more often and yes I did clean the blood off my bike.

[Pain Freak]

Well I got to go shopping....

[sauce]

Hey boys! Great ridin' w/ y'all and meeting some new faces. Hope to see you guys on more rides! Good times. Congrats to everyone on toughing through a long ride. I wish I could have made the post-ride meal.

I have to say I enjoyed the climb a lot more than the downhill (a first for me). So next time I'm gonna be a lot less cocky on the downhill (which means I will be even MORE cocky on the uphill; beware :P).

I am feeling better ... after many asprins and a couple beers. I can sorta walk w/o a limp now. haha. My shoulder, knee and outer upper thigh took the brunt of it; but I'm feeling fine today. My dad has taken out two life insurance policies and a disability insurance policy on me (since I started mountain biking 6 months ago). I thought he was nuts, but now I'm not so sure. I keep falling.

I'm going to go buy a new back tire. Any recommendations? Thank you so much guys for pointing the low tire tread out ... I would have probably spun out anyway, but I really had tire traction/control problems the whole way down.

[Pho'dUp]

That's good news. Yeah, Sauce you got '86 that rear tire.

I've been using a 1.95 StickE Nevegal (runs a bit big) on my single that's been pretty good.

Let me check the parts bin at home, but I think I have a Panaracer Fire 2.1 that you can have till you find something your really like.

Carl

[sauce]

That would be great. I'm sorta broke now.

Originally Posted by Pho'dUp

That's good news. Yeah, Sauce you got '86 that rear tire.

I've been using a 1.95 StickE Nevegal (runs a bit big) on my single that's been pretty good.

Let me check the parts bin at home, but I think I have a Panaracer Fire 2.1 that you can have till you find something your really like.

Carl

[CalEpic]

Originally Posted by sauce

I really had tire traction/control problems the whole way down.

I think we all did

For most of us it was a controlled crash all the way down.

I'm glad you were not seriously hurt.

C

[sauce]

"Controlled Crash." I'm liking it. So true.

Originally Posted by CalEpic

I think we all did

For most of us it was a controlled crash all the way down.

I'm glad you were not seriously hurt.

C

[soul rider]

was anyone wearing any armor? Joplin is no joke and no place to be with a busted knee.

[Von-Skipp]

All the guys on the full rigs had armor rather than the ss'ers. Probably should be the other way around!

I brought full knee and arm pads since my tech skills havnt been used much lately. Luckily I survived Joplin pretty cleanly. Awesome ride up there and quite windy! Nice seeing the bros again and Sara.

Whats going on next weekend???

~Kipp