That’s A Wrap

This past weekend was the last dig weekend on the Leaders Park singletrack project until next season. This season went amazingly well.

We’ve had almost fifty (50) different people show up to dig at one (1) or more (+ 1) sessions. In that time, we have nearly one half (1/2) mile of trail dug. My expectations have been exceeded on two (2) fronts.

First (1st), the speed and quality of the digging have far exceeded my expectations. Of the weekends we’ve been in the park, we’ve been digging for only three (3). Having multiple work sessions per weekend seems to work very nicely.

Second (2nd), we are getting much more trail in a given area than originally planned. Once we get going with the clinometer and looking at the possibilities, the trail just lays out so nicely to give many more feet than we first (1st) thought.

This coming weekend Falls Area SingleTrack is having one (1) last work session for the season. There will be no digging. Instead we’ll showcase what’s been done and explain what’s coming up next season. We’ll issue garbage bags to those who show up and we’ll do some light garbage pickup. There’s not a lot left in the park. But, many hands make for light work and it’s easier to see is now than after it snows or the vegetation returns.

This winter we’re planning a few fund raising movie nights. We’ll use the proceeds to buy a few more tools and the materials required to construct the ramps up the bridges, the stairs down off the bridges, the board-walk through the low area, and the wood berms on the more advanced sections.

I hope this is an easy and short winter. It seems like we just got started and now we need to be done. I’m looking forward to getting the first, easier loop complete and open. The estimate is we’ll only need two (2) weekends to get this done. From there we’ll get right into the harder loops.

Also this winter we’ll do some scheduling and planning. We’ll not have work sessions during some fat tire festivals in the area. Instead we’ll encourage attendance to those events and try to arrange car-pooling.

The other evening I participated in a conference call with other singletrack types. Toward the end, the idea was tossed out to have field trips to each other’s projects. We’d help build some, ride some, and maybe do some grilling. It’s nice to help others and get ideas for our own projects.

Ride On.

Saturday Free-For-All

Nicolai All Mountain Trial from Whyex Productions on Vimeo.

Ride on.

Decision Made

After much thought I have decided I'm NOT going to build up a single-speed mountain bike. Instead, I'm going

HAMMER-SCHMIDT!!! Two-speed mountain bike!

Other items of interest - Surly Karate Monkey.

Photo grabbed from the Surly site.

For those not in the know, this means 29'er. My fully boinged mountain bike is a 29'er and my skewed sense of logic dictates that this one will be, too.

The other components are still up in the air. I do have the wheel set built. I'll have to find them and knock the dust off them to see what I did. Probably Surly hubs with Velocity rims and DT Swiss spokes. I do remember thirty-six (36) spokes per wheel in a three-cross arrangement. Overkill? Maybe. Solid? Damn right!

Ride on.

Why Not To Fly

Ride on.

Cool DIY Bike Pump

Surfing the internets, I came across THIS cool little Do It Yourself project. It's more for the urban riders and it might be better if it had some sort of valve.

Ride on.

Productive Weekend Number Two (2)

It was another very productive weekend with the Leaders Park singletrack project. Lots of volunteers make for lots of work getting done.

The other bridge was decked and the guardrail up. This was started first (1st) thing out of the chute on Saturday. We got the 2 x 6's running the length of the trusses bolted down and then a crew was started with the deck. They made short work of things.

After I got a crew decking I grabbed Mulberry Murph and we set out pin flagging. The remaining north section of the easy loop was flagged. Saturday afternoon this section was complete less a bit of chainsaw work.

Sunday we started out by pin flagging the southern section of the easy loop. We began with pin flagging about four-hundred feet (400'). We started at 2 PM and by 3 PM in was time to pin flag more trail. The volunteers were moving that fast.

The soil we're working in, so far, has been very easy to dig. There are very few rocks and it is not hard packed. I think years and years of leaves falling, decomposing, and integrating into the soil can be attributed to the easy digging.

If the weather holds we'll have the southern section of the easy loop done next weekend. We'll likely get started on the intermediate loop we've planned. We've got a November 30th, 2011 deadline. At this rate we should be done sometime mid-summer next year.

Ride on.

The Bob Marley Effect

Bob Marley has this effect on me, too.

Ride on.

Excitement Building

Last weekend the progress with the singletrack project was very encouraging. It was amazing to see how quickly trail can be built. It’s also an awesome feeling to see all the hard work put in by so many people come to fruition.

The weather is supposed to hold. It will get a bit cooler, but precipitation is not expected, at least not this coming weekend. That being said, Falls Area SingleTrack and volunteers should be able to get between seven-hundred (700) and eight-hundred (800) feet to trail in.



In addition to getting that much trail in, the other bridge should be decked. We’re meeting on an evening this week to prep the wood with sealant. Then this weekend it’s just a matter of installing the wood on the steel.

A neat side effect of this project is the buzz that’s being created. I’m not much of a Facebook type, but I’m hearing of more “friends” on the FAST Facebook thing. The word from the local bike shops is they are hearing more buzz about the project. The trick will be to keep some of this momentum over the winter.

FAST will try to do that by having some movie nights. The details are not worked out yet, but, we’re thinking of getting licenses to show maybe three (3) movies. We’d like to get sponsors for the movies and then have a free-will donation at the door. We’ll see. First things first – we’re going to dig trail until the ground freezes.

Ride On.

Productive Weekend

The past weekend saw excellent progress on the Leaders Park singletrack project. Not everything was good, however.

Some asshole thinks he/she is slowing us down by removing our flagging ribbons. When we showed up Saturday morning we found two (2) of our bridge abutments down in the drainage ditch. Evidently there are some in the neighborhood who are quite sore losers. It's a shame they need to feel that way. The trail is so far from any house they couldn't possibly be disturbed. And, their property values are only going to go up.

The good part of the weekend was much of the easy loop's corridor was cleared. All the bridge trusses and cross bracing was installed. One (1) bridge has been decked and has the guard rail up. That took up two (2) work sessions on Saturday.

On Sunday we put tools to earth. In our first (1st) three (3) hour digging session more then two-hundred-fifty feet (250') was completed. In just three (3) hours! If the weather holds we'll have the easy loop complete before the ground freezes and the snow comes.

Next weekend we're planning on more digging and decking the other bridge. We've had excellent volunteer participation. In our first (1st) three (3) weekends in the park we've had thirty (30) different people lend a hand.

If you visit THIS link, it will direct you to the Falls Area SingleTrack website. By clicking that link it will take you to pictures and a short YouTube video of Sunday's trail building and bridge decking.

Ride on.

When A Visitor Calls

Hopefully this won't be happening in Leaders Park. It is unlikely. Bears haven't been in these parts for many, many years.

Ride on.

Hot Weekend Action

This weekend is going to be full of singletrack building busy. There are a number of tasks that will take place. Falls Area SingleTrack is planning three (3) work sessions. We'll meet Saturday at 9:00 AM and run until noon. Saturday afternoon will go from 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM. And Sunday's version is 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM.

Right out of the chute we'll set the bridge trusses. It will take several people to hoist these over the drainage ditch and into place. It will be pretty much all hands on deck for that.

Once the trusses are placed I'll divide everyone up. One (1) group will be charged with applying sealant to the wood decking. The other group will install the steel cross bridging to the trusses and begin to move the ballast rocks. Once the 2 x 6's are ready, they'll be bolted down to the trusses. Once this is done, the deck proper can be installed and so can the guardrail.

While these tasks are being handled some of will be marking the corridors of the trail. As soon as enough of this has been done a crew will follow to clear the corridor. Pin flagging will follow behind the clearing and then the digging can start.

Another word on the bridges. We waffled back and forth on what to do, if anything, to protect the wood. We've opted for a sealant. To combat any slippery surfaces we've elected to staple chicken wire down to the deck. This is our plan and we're going to give it a go. We think this should work pretty well.

In as many upcoming weekends as weather will allow we plan to mark trail and dig trail. We'll stop when the ground freezes. With a heap of volunteers and good weather, we might be able to complete the easiest, which happens to be the shortest, loop.

Ride on.

Stop Action Bike

Ride On.

Mountain Biking News

It seems Ireland has been chosen to host the 2011 Singlespeed world championships. Per THIS article, their team won the horizontal bungee jump contest to garner hosting.

I don't know if the date's set yet or not, but keep your eyes peeled, and save some cabbage. Hitch hiking might be problematic.

Ride on.

Weekend In The Park

This past weekend Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST) held three work sessions of three (3) hours each. Saturday AM, Saturday PM, and Sunday PM. Despite an equipment failure, the entire dump truck load of rocks was moved from its original position to other places out of the precious neighborhood resident's eyesight.

Our original intent was to finish the bridges by getting the trusses into position and decking them. But, we were once again thwarted by neighborhood residents. Apparently we'll be conducting a park walk through with Parks and a neighborhood representative. The purpose is to insure the trail is not in an "objectionable" position. So, at 1 PM today, we'll be "walking through."

Now most of the very strenuous work is done. Next weekend we are intending on finishing the bridges and beginning digging the trail proper. We'll be pin-flagging the location, clearing the corridor, and putting tools to earth.

FAST is very fortunate to have such a wide range of support. The community is coming together to donate funds, materials, and physical effort to make this project happen. A very big thank you to all who've participated and donated so far.

Ride on.