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Braff Zacklin

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Posts posted by Braff Zacklin

  1. 52 minutes ago, Homercles said:

    But I also feel OU sucking is such a universal truth that it need not be stated EVERY post

     

    That is exactly why it must be stated in every post.

    Spoiler

     

    P.S. ou sucks

    Spoiler

    P.S. fuck Baylor

     

     

  2. 11 hours ago, NoName said:

    well...damn. i read it as he found a new BBQ spot that close to Valentinas - but your way actually makes sense now that i re-read it. my bad!

    It's cool cuz that GIF never gets old. #smails4ever

    • Like 1
  3. @Al_4_ISU So those heavily wooded shots following a river are from that ride? Awesome. I'm always happy to see more if you find the time.

    Don't get me started on horses. Most riders are relatively conscientious, but there are a couple of bad apples here who deliberately wait until the ground is soft from rain so they can posthole the trails. Per the grapevine, one of them got butthurt 10 years ago because some whiny cyclist complained in the paper about horse manure (about which I couldn't care less).

    Leaving coffee can-sized depressions that take most of the season to smooth out is apparently their passive-aggressive revenge. In some cases, the damage can be extensive (i.e., lasts for miles). It also accelerates erosion as it causes the trails to V and deepen.

    If it were up to me, horses would be considered powered vehicles and therefore banned from city trails. But the society in which we live prefers to enable this sort of bullying by ignoring it. Probably not something I will ever understand.

    Anyway, Is the Mississippi there overrun with silver carp? I enjoy fishing as much as I do a trail ride.

  4. @Al_4_ISU Have you shared pictures of this Yellow River Forest ride before? Sounds very scenic--look forward to reading/seeing more about it.

    The weather has been a beating. Things dried out well enough Tuesday evening that I was able to squeeze in a ride, but I stayed low and near roads so I could bail if the shit hit the fan. Had a window to go yesterday, but used that to mow, instead. And I timed it today perfectly--rain began to fall some 10 minutes after I got home.

     

    @KuЯdt Sixty-five degrees and a light breeze in your face is absolutely refreshing. Fifty-something can be, too, but relative temps plummet quickly if the sun is hiding or the wind is howling, so you generally have to layer up, which never feels quite right to me.

    There was a light mist for much of today's ride, so it was cold and clammy despite the layers and workrate. But wait two weeks, when the temps will probably be in the mid 80s and I will be complaining about it being too hot.

    There's just no pleasing some folks.

  5. On 5/21/2019 at 1:46 PM, TwiceHorn said:

    And, somehow in DFW, on most trails, we manage to get uphill without corresponding downhill.  You really have to look for trails with more than about 25-50 yards of steepish descent.  Of course our hills are probably middling too, but maybe not.  Check the topo on the Big Cedar Wilderness Ranger trail that I was looking at: 

    https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/3809201/ranger-trail

    That's regarded as the most extended descents in DFW, generally.  It's got the downhill, alright, but manages to have steeper climbs than descents.

    Are you restricted to riding in one direction? The majority of our network is two-way, although there are some segments that are much more enjoyable as a descent or vice-versa.

    And are muddy conditions a factor down there? I always assumed y'all frequently had to ride in mud because there are (historically) so many more rainy days in Central and North Texas. I absolutely hate riding in slop as I've no mudding skills, my tires don't shed worth a shit, and it's a 3-hour cleanup for the bike. Plus, our trails aren't "weather proof" for wet conditions like ones in England or the Pacific Northwest.

    Back to the subject of tires, the length and duration of the climbs here are the biggest reasons I favor a lighter rear tire. For example, I went on a variation of this ride last Saturday:

    https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5377996/over-the-top-loop?method=dropdown&query=over the top&search=1&type=trail

    From my house, there was actually 1,800 feet of elevation gain over some 12 miles, with almost all of that rise on the initial climb. Basically, from the moment I left my house, I was climbing for about 6 miles and nearly 1,800 feet. A 5.6% grade doesn't sound like much, and it isn't if it's just a few hundred yards, but it can wear you down over several miles. Having to accelerate rubber that weighs 680 grams versus 800 grams and that rolls more easily on hardpan (i.e., has a near continuous centerline) makes a difference**.

    I guess what I'm saying is our trails are probably very different from yours so take any input from me with a big dose of salt. ;)

     


    ** Which is why I scoff at "studies" from GMBN or BikeRadar in which they pit heavy plus tires against conventional sizes on climbs that typically last 2-4 minutes and conclude that the marginal time savings on ascents is outweighed by the greater time savings on descents.

  6. Safe and happy travels, Biff. If I recall, you do a fair amount of backpacking/camping. Shame you won't have a chance for that on this visit as the park is best enjoyed off the beaten path, in my opinion.

    Hope the weather improves between now and then. I live about 2.5 hours SSW of the Park and it has been miserably cold and wet for a week. Currently raining here in town with a high of 52 degrees--I imagine it might be snowing inside the Park.

    As always, don't forget to share pics!

    • Like 1
  7. 1 hour ago, KuЯdt said:

    Better, but has a huge gap between the outer knobs and the next level. So when you lean over in turns it will slide for a while until you lean it all the way over to the outermost knobs. Not fun.

    Yes! That gap is why the Ardent is terrifying as a front tire. On better tires, the transition from the outer knobs to the cornering lugs seems far less pronounced.

    In other news, I regret wishing away @KuЯdt's wet weather because now it's stuck here.

    Cold front blew in last Thursday night. Friday's high was 48. Today's high was 51. And it's been wet and windy every day with forecasts showing no relief in sight. We might finally get back to the 60s by Friday, but still rain, rain errahday.

    • Like 1
  8. I've been riding mismatched (wider and knobbier up front, lighter and a more pronounced centerline in back) tires for a decade now. Sometimes I match brands, sometimes not.

    Wider, knobbier front floats and tracks better. Better roller in back means more efficient pedaling for most of your ride. For me, the choice of rear tire is a compromise between weight, grip, rolling resistance, and puncture protection. My front tire isn't a compromise--I go with what gives me the most confidence and predictability.

    Disagree about downhill benefits being inapplicable. Like you, I spend between two and three times as long climbing as I do descending, but I'm going much faster on the descent, so grip--particularly predictable grip--is critical.

    I don't have much experience on Maxxis rubber outside of Race TT (formerly Larsen TT) and Ardents. Since you're not considering either, I'll limit my feedback to a strong recommendation against running an Ardent up front. Heard the plus-sized versions aren't as bad, but the 2.25-incher that came stock on my squishy was absolutely terrifying on loose over hard.

     

    • Like 2
  9. 4 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

    highlight of the day though was sitting at the dock for lunch and our guide finding a folded up dollar bill between the picnic table planks, unrolling it and about gram of meth sprinkling on to the table.

    The real Hollywood Colt would've found cocaine.

    • Like 2
  10. On 5/10/2019 at 10:54 PM, Patricio Swayze said:

    47032805404_c381717b8e_b.jpg

    Love speckled kingsnakes. Thanks for sharing.

    Saw a Western Racer on Thursday's ride. Stopped to get a pic but it up and skeedaddled. Never been able to snap a shot of a racer; they always live up to their name.

    • Like 1
  11.  What the fuck are you talking about, Pam?

    I think most people are down on the nephew because he initially exaggerated and then flat-out faked an injury and gave up on his coaches and teammates, all the while refusing to step forward and say anything and instead having his uncle make ambiguous remarks on his behalf before ultimately forcing management to trade him for a fraction of what he was worth. He even had the gall to blame the media for targeting him and not allowing him to tell "his side" of the story despite the fact that any outlet would've given him an unlimited amount of space to do so.

    In summation, the dude is a malingering piece of shit. Fuck that dude.

    • Like 6
    • Haha 1
  12. So many great pics from you guys this spring ... except KuЯdt.

    Dude ain't pulling his weight. Somebody make it quit raining wherever he lives so he can hit the trails and show off, damnit.

    On a more serious note, I'm having a tough time losing weight this year. Fugging sucks lugging 20-30 pounds of extraneous flab up a 6-mile climb. Maybe I am getting old. Or maybe I should lay off the cheeseburgers.

    Either way, I blame Bag o' Dicks Bob Stoops. OU sucks.

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