Who remembers when...

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Something that is somewhat funny that we talk about at the shop often, is how our trail networks are being dumbed down year after year while the bikes are progressing exponentially. I learned how to ride at Chimney Rock on a rigid 26er with cantilever brakes. Now folks show up with bigger bikes than Pro Downhillers used to ride. Bah.
 
Dajerseyrat said:
My God that geometry looks like it wants to kill you..
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71 deg head angle / 72 seat deg seat angle short wheel base and short chain stays. Stem is 135mm long. Fat Chance was the shits back then hand made in Somerville MA. I was in that shop in the late ‘80 when I lived in Boston.
 
jimvreeland said:
Something that is somewhat funny that we talk about at the shop often, is how our trail networks are being dumbed down year after year while the bikes are progressing exponentially. I learned how to ride at Chimney Rock on a rigid 26er with cantilever brakes. Now folks show up with bigger bikes than Pro Downhillers used to ride. Bah.
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This is very true. Although I learned this place on a 26 HT with cable discs. But do you think Chimney Rock has been dumbed down? I know a lot of other places have, but the only things that are gone are some of the old sketchy log overs there.

I think the trails that Kirt and HT Paul’s guys have added definitely keep it technical. Shit, half the people who ride there skip the High Tech Trails cause they’re not up for the tech / climb combination.

I remember when it would take me 3 hours of stop and go to ride 8 miles there. Usually skipping yellow. Now we average close to 14 miles in around 90 minutes on Thursday nights. Hitting every trail at least once.
 
jShort said:
This is very true. Although I learned this place on a 26 HT with cable discs. But do you think Chimney Rock has been dumbed down? I know a lot of other places have, but the only things that are gone are some of the old sketchy log overs there.

I think the trails that Kirt and HT Paul’s guys have added definitely keep it technical. Shit, half the people who ride there skip the High Tech Trails cause they’re not up for the tech / climb combination.

I remember when it would take me 3 hours of stop and go to ride 8 miles there. Usually skipping yellow. Now we average close to 14 miles in around 90 minutes on Thursday nights. Hitting every trail at least once.
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Even CR has had it's share. Remember the Yellow Climb? Remember the alternative Yellow Climb that went straight up the fall line? Remember the climb coming out of High Tech before there were switchbacks? It isn't easy, but it's not raw like it was back in the day. I mean, I have a lot of fun there these days because I have a bike with shocks, 3" tires, and a pie plate as a low cog.
 
Fortunately, north Jersey still has plenty of places with fall line death climbs and brutally raw trails, for those who like to sometimes carry their bike through the woods instead of ride.

Also, why hasn't this been posted yet?

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I remember this, but it's also how I tend to ride today. At Kingdom trails we still use the map 95% of the time. I usually track rides with Strava, but it's rare that I'll look at it during a ride to figure out where I am. I tend to use the GPS more on road rides.
 
While this was from 2002, I'm sure most riders in this area will remember these events from the 90's. I'm pretty sure this was the last one I went to, although I probably did day trips from my ex's after '03 (her parents have a farm 20 min from the lake).
I found this while cleaning my gear bag a couple of days ago.
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Ian F said:
While this was from 2002, I'm sure most riders in this area will remember these events from the 90's. I'm pretty sure this was the last one I went to, although I probably did day trips from my ex's after '03 (her parents have a farm 20 min from the lake).
I found this while cleaning my gear bag a couple of days ago.
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Went to almost every one starting in ‘89. My “perfect attendance “ award, lol. Also, my avatar is from a MBW T-shirt.
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jimvreeland said:
Something that is somewhat funny that we talk about at the shop often, is how our trail networks are being dumbed down year after year while the bikes are progressing exponentially. I learned how to ride at Chimney Rock on a rigid 26er with cantilever brakes. Now folks show up with bigger bikes than Pro Downhillers used to ride. Bah.
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Not so much that they are dumbed down, it’s just not set up with a MTB’ng in mind. People who run the trail systems are not the ones out on newer bikes. Let alone a bike at all.

This is the wrong part of the country for that. Need to head to places like Bentonville (as an example) for trails for MTB bikes by people who MTB.
 
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