Today's Ride

You betcha RA!  1991 StumpJumper Team, with Suntour XC Pro.  It's been revised so many times I've forgotten all the component upgrades..  It served as an XC race bike, a baby trailer hauler, a commuter, a 1 speed rigid MTB, and most recently, a 1 speed gravel grinder.   It went from the original Tange Prestige forks, to a set of Scott Unishocks (for about a month of dangerous riding on those pogo sticks), Rock Shox Mag 20's, then Manitou 3's, and then back to the rigid Ritchey WCS forks on it now..

The Tange Prestige frame was welded in Japan - it's proven crazy durable.  Only thing Ive done is spray the insides of the frame with Rust Check every fall before it gets hung up for Winter.  It owes me nothing,...

Wow, imagine trying to get that much life from one of these 6k+ full squish rigs we are being marketed today!

After my last two crashes I am actually looking at 29er hard tails for long distance rides and simplicity. I think it might be a good way to sort of throttle back myself a little.

I am actively taking a break from riding right now, I'm not sure if it's because of the injuries from last season have me a little gun shy or the fact that school is owning me right now but either way I don't think I want to have any more serious injuries. I'm still in some minor discomfort from crashes that happened over a year ago now. The process has given me a new appreciation for bikes like yours.  

I've gone through multiple bikes since I first bought my Stumpy (I recall $900!), including a Slingshot (coolest bike ever, sort of... ) a Conejo AP5, A Schwinn URT, and a Rocky Mountain RM 7.  The RM 7 survives as a DH lift served, $ sucking money pit, the rest have come and gone.  I almost pulled the trigger on a Norco Range frameset to build up a few weeks ago, but a bit of due diligence (thanks to MTBR) saved the day - there'd been a total frame recall on the 2014 carbon frames (cracking at the pivot ).   So yup. I'm glad I still have my steel SJ.  
Note that my dedicated trail bike is a hard tail steel bike as well - a Stanton Slackline.  Only issue I've had is having to rebuild the fork.. Figures.  

Oh, and crashing.  Yup.  Riding a rigid bike is a great way to make a non tech trail a challenge .. Which also means less consequence... Another reason I've migrated away from FS bikes.  Growing old is mandatory.  Growing up is optional.   So change the variables to manage the risk.  At least that's worked for me... 'Cause like Sammy Hagar sings... I can't drive...55.
(Oh, and I haven't done any lift served dh-ing for a couple years now.. . Might as well part-out what's salvageable of my RM while it's still sellable.. Though it's probably too late for anything but the forks.. )

Rode local trails on Friday - Atlantic Highlands overlooking Sea Brite/Sandy Hook

Hartshorne Woods? Battery Lewis?

BRLKED wrote

Hartshorne Woods? Battery Lewis?

Yep Hartshorne Woods

Swapped out a 1x9 drivetrain for a 1x10.  Rear cassette went from 11-34 to 11-42.  As Wayne and Garth would say,  SCHWIIINNNG!  

I really want this set up!!

24 mile ride in Italy through Tuscany...stop for lunch at a olive oil farm.

Now that's a ride!!!!!!

I'm back in the saddle again thank god, I was starting to get seriously depressed with the whole summer school thing. I wish I could say that it feels good right now but in all honesty it hurts, like really badly. I'm so out of shape. :( A few more rides and things should start coming back together though.

Nice.  Ya Know, sometimes it takes a wee interlude, for whatever reason, to get the stokitude flowing again.  Or at least to reaffirm your values.

Pinehill Park, Rutland, VT.

Kingdom Trails, Northern VT:

trying to get up to Kingdom..Looks like a total blast..

Marc and Matt have both reminded me I need to get to Vt in summertime more. Both spots look beautiful

The Ididaride went off yesterday with hardly a raindrop. Cool and cloudy the whole way made for a perfect ride.
Well supported, lots of riders and great food. Could not ask for a better ride. Met lots of nice people. The gave me an extra beer coupon and I looked for Matt, but not knowing what he looked like, I looked for someone with a Hillary jersey or a Jersey that said, "If I had a daughter in college I would have he work as Bill's Assistant when Hillary goes to Washington", but none were to be found.

Good Turnout at the Churney Gurney race at Gurney Park in Queensbury. New trails there are beautiful.

I saw some amazing things at the Churney Gurney yesterday.  

The stand out memory I have is this dude that looked A LOT like MattChuck toss a half chugged blue Gatorade in the air while slaying his single speed race...

 A beautiful stream of royal blue liquid streams in the air through the air... At the apex of the bottle's flight the crowd went silent.  Only the birds spoke and the gravel clinked on below the tyres of the competitors.  We all stood, some hand in hand... affixed to the space above... only to watch the beautiful bottle fall down to the race course.... In amazement he nailed the Gatorade flip.  The bottle landed perfectly, right-side up.

The announcer stopped and burst into ecstasy, the bass from the PA system filled the air and cheers could be heard from the top of the mountains.