Ride Report Repercussions of chasing 3:30

Wow, I thought you were going over. I've hooked a rock and seen people go OTB in front of me when they hook a rock so I know the feeling. My foot was numb for 5 minutes...I thought I broke it. That lesson made me much better at scanning for rocks and roots. Anyway, be safe out there! I never feel like I'm going to crash at Whiting or the Luge but it's going to happen because I keep pushing myself to go faster. I finally invested in some lightweight armor.

 

Yeah I don't do too much pedaling in turns like that anymore for that very reason, I try to get that outside foot low, and press and turn the bike under me to swing through and pedal out...of course that is probably why I will never be a 3:30 guy. I also like how the camera really catches that blur / rapid flash before your eye montage of dirt / sky / ledge / brush...its hard to explain to non-bikers what a crash "looks" like but that really does it

And yeah...lucky not more damage nor unintended rapid cliff decent like the guys a couple weeks ago, thanks for the vid and glad you escape just bruised.

 

My favorite section is right after this left hand turn. It's the longest straight away and the fastest part of the luge. Let go of the brakes, pedal out of the turn, float down the 3 step-downs and you can catch a lot of speed. There is a sharp left at the end so if you come in too hot you can go straight off the cliff. The last guy that went off the side was in this very section. After reviewing his video you can see he was going too slow, locked up his front brakes on the first step down and went OTB over the side.

 

Those step-downs aren't there by accident (no pun intended). I put them in with a couple former STR members to liven things up. Nothing terribly technical on the trail because it serves such a wide ability range, but the challenge for better riders is to ride it faster or with more skill, as you are attempting to do. Crashes are inevitable, which keeps us all honest. Just please don't go off the trail near the top, or someone else will have to post it for you.

I hope to get up there today to make sure the trail survived these storms. You're welcome to join me, but the sledgehammer stays in the garage. I'm not opposed to cleaning up the berms, though, or smoothing some brake bumps..

 

unfortunately, sunday is family day - no riding. i'm free most mornings during the week this week and would love to help you. let me know if you're going to be out there on the weekdays.

 

Will do.

 

Don't tell him that. He's not going to believe you, and he's going to feel like you're insulting him since he was in his opinion going plenty fast. ;-)

Gotta love Captain Obvious telling you how lucky you are over and over. You should've picked him up, thrown him over, then told him how unlucky he was. ;-)

 

You and the luge have a very interesting relationship...

 

So you might clock a little faster time now, because somebody (whose name I won't mention) took out one of my favorite sections. Apparently it was too difficult for him. I'm talking about that narrow section about a third of the way down from the top. Basically 6 feet wide by the time I got there, all hacked up berms and unpacked tread.

I guess even minor technical stuff is too much for some people. I asked him about it, and he said it was hard to ride through without hitting a pedal. "And that's why it was cool," I said. Anyway, I spent the next couple hours cleaning up the mess he made; there and another spot farther down.

So you'll be able to go faster now, but if the whole point of getting down that trail was a sanitized, ultra-fast descent, then we should just run a Bobcat on it. My point is that all the modest challenges on the trail give it it's unique character and increase all our skills.

Needless to say, I left your rock because I'm confident you'll miss it next time.

OK, rant over. Have a nice ride.

 

Well said. I hated that narrow section, until it was gone and then I felt it was a shame someone removed it. I took pride in learning how to ride through it and some of the other obstacles on Luge and other trails. But nature always reminds me that these "trails" we ride aren't really ours and are not permanent, which is always evident after every significant rainstorm.

Thanks for all you do, btw.

 

Well it's MORE GONE now! And as the guy told me, "You'll be able rail it now!" Well, not so much the way he left it, but yeah, once I got done cleaning it up. And it will be fun. But it was fun the way it was, demanding attention and teaching us to ride a narrow line. Personally,I always liked coming up on it; knowing I'd have deal with it.

But then I liked the old Cactus (in Whiting) before the fire, including that narrow trough, which all got taken out. And I liked the old Sage Scrub, from the bumpy, sketchy troughs to the cool gully at the bottom. And the old little climb, nicknamed "Little Cholla," that climbed back up to Sage Scrub from after the current turn off to Sleepy Hollow. I couldn't believe they were all taken out, and I've fought to get them back, but with no luck so far.

You're right, nature makes the rules, and I'm good with that. But people do most of the sanitizing (and to be fair, I've been accused of it myself). But I try to balance maintenance and flow with natural, technical challenge. The Luge started out as a graded dirt road, so it's come a long way. It just lost a little today, in my opinion.

 

Awh... that section was part of why the luge is called the luge.... bank up side to side to keep from hitting your pedals...and get a little pump. How did the rain treat the trail? Thanks for your work! I'd be in for maintenance work too if more is needed.

 

My thoughts exactly! Once I hit the treeline I anticipate that narrow section as it is challenging to make it through cleanly. It was actually tougher last year when it was like a rut. The only part of the luge that I don't mind see going is the small climb (mud slide area) after the left hander before the final switchbacks. I can never make that turn fast enough to carry the momentum over that hump. Anyway, hit me up if you need help the next couple of days (mornings). Thanks for all your dedication to the luge!

 

That's sad too hear that one selfish person with lack of the desire for personal challenge would go f*%k up the trail for everyone. How do they expect to get any better at riding if all the features that make you a better rider are gone? This was probably the same person that couldn't get there front wheel over the curbs at Fullerton, that's why the P line crossings at the streets.

 

I am pretty sure the curbs was ADAs doing.

 

I love all the little drops and rocks on The Luge and I thought Kioti's work last year on the narrow section was a nice compromise. He made it about a foot wide instead of six inches. Still a challenge - and still a Luge - but more sustainable. Sounds like the d-bag who hit it today just cleaned it out entirely. I hope nobody messes with the rocks and drops. Thanks for fixing it up Jim.

 

for somebody trying to best a personal speed run, im surprised you dont have knee pads.

good thing youre not hurt much. bcot.

 

The footage of your eat looks like when you get killed in a FPS game, lol. Glad you came out ok.

 

You're welcome. I love that trail and work on it as much as time allows. I've seen everyone from Brian Lopes and other fast riders shredding it, to first timers riding down it-- like a Trail Angel's young son did this afternoon. It's amazing to me that it works for such a diverse mix of riders.

I'm not a fan of that little climb either, but there was a big,muddy rockslide and we cleared it the best we could. It may deserve some future attention.

 

I actually think he's a solid rider. I just think he's got some image of how the Luge is supposed to be, and I'm not following it. So rather than focus his efforts elsewhere (he can legitimately work on any trail in the Forest), he decided to widen that section. He also chopped out a bunch of plants further down, just above the S-turns, for no apparent reason. He'd thrown them over the side, but I hauled them back up and covered the bare ground. It was confusing as to where the trail was supposed to be, because there was this clearcut area on the left, and leaves and debris on the trail. I asked him about it but he just called me an idiot.