OT: Mountain bikers

[oceana]

are there any of you out there??

I want to go to alafia or maybe santos this weekend if anyone is interested.

[Northtampatang]

I ride, I'm supposed to help my neighbor with the brakes on his truck though Sat.

If it falls through, I'm game

Wes

[oceana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6809754#post6809754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Northtampatang
I ride, I'm supposed to help my neighbor with the brakes on his truck though Sat.

If it falls through, I'm game

Wes


if i go i plan to go on sunday mid morning.

have you been to either park before?

[Northtampatang]

Ive been to alafia, its nice. We kayaked the river on the same day though which made it a bit tiresome LOL

Sunday mid-morning may work for me, I'll check with my better half when she gets home tonight. Our wedding is in 16 days and it seems like she always has some sort of planning stuff for me to "help" with on the weekends.

+ side, my church is not far from the alafia park so i'll be in that area sunday


What do you ride?

[oceana]

2005 speciaized BigHit. a few upgrades but for the most part its
stock. You??

[amheck]

I used to ride all the time when I was in school up in Gainesville. Now my bike just sits there. I gotta get that into the shop and get a major tune up. Although I've always wanted a nice dual suspension bike. Maybe it's time to start checking the paper or craigslist......

Aaron

[oceana]

i saw another bighit in the paper this past weekend for 1000.00.
had some nice rims on it to. great deal

[cwegescheide]

So where are these places you guys mentioned. I used to ride A LOT up north where there is stuff that resembles mountains :D I havent got the knobbies in the dirt/sand down here once since I've been here.

I've got an old M2 with a shock an oldie but a goodie :) Yeah I'm old school baby..

Chris

[gillies]

Are there such things as hills when biking in Florida? Do you guys run three rings up front or do you ride single speeds? Why would you need dual suspension when riding in sand? These are just some thoughts that ran through my AZ single track mind. Proud owner of a full-on XTR Fuel 98.

[oceana]

nope we dont have montains in florida.
but what we do have are old mines.

over years and years they have dug 100's of feet down and all the rock had to go somewhere. well over time those mines made a killer mountian bike landscape.


some places like razorback or hardrock that gain almost 1200 feet of elevation. it's not rockey mountians but for florida that one heck of a cliff.
i could show you pictures out on the trails that you would for sure think i was up in the mountians some place.

to give you an idea. if florida would have received the 2008 olympics alafia is where they would have done the mountian biking track.

There is plenty that will make you think twice. disk brakes are a must IMO. alifia, razorback, thetoe, and santos are all trails that people come from all over to ride. you will hear lots of people say thinks like "anyone that says there is no good mounitan biking in florida has never been to alifia." many mid west and northern riders leave the above mentioned places with huge smiles on their face because they never expected to find things like this in florida..

so yes a full suspention with heavy travel can be very useful even in florida. i would not consider running down
big mommas house<--trail name at a nearly 90% with rocks the size of cars right in your path and a 100 foot drop on either side of the trail without one. lol

[oceana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6810397#post6810397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gillies
Are there such things as hills when biking in Florida? Do you guys run three rings up front or do you ride single speeds? Why would you need dual suspension when riding in sand? These are just some thoughts that ran through my AZ single track mind. Proud owner of a full-on XTR Fuel 98.

i run two rings in front and 9 in back

[gillies]

Cool! Thanks for the response. If I ever get to Florida with my bike, I'll be heading to alifia!

If you ever get to Phoenix, check out the South Mountain National Trail or the Estrella Mountain Competitive Track.

Good Ridin' :cool:

[cwegescheide]

Lets try this again...

So where are these places you guys mentioned. I used to ride A LOT up north where there is stuff that resembles mountains I havent got the knobbies in the dirt/sand down here once since I've been here.

I've got an old M2 with a shock an oldie but a goodie Yeah I'm old school baby..

Chris

[oceana]

well alifia is in alifia

razorback is in brooksville area
carterroad is in lakeland,-- not the best but still some hairy stuff on the fingers.

the toe is in lakeland<-- ridgeriders club members only park. crazy stuff at this place

Santos is in ocala


here are a few picks from the toe. this is some easy stuff lol
you should se the clamshell or the teater



http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/56636toe3.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/56636toe1.jpg

[oceana]

i went down the hill just fine. it was getting back up the other side i have the problem lol. I was clinging to that wall like a cat haha


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/56636IM008795.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/56636IM008830.jpg

[cwegescheide]

OH MAN!!!!! THAT LOOKS FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!

Thanks Oceana. Lemme get in shape (its been a while since I've riddin. I used to be a cat II in uscf many moons ago) and I'll go with ya anytime!!

Thanks again,
Chris

[oceana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6811614#post6811614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cwegescheide
OH MAN!!!!! THAT LOOKS FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!

Thanks Oceana. Lemme get in shape (its been a while since I've riddin. I used to be a cat II in uscf many moons ago) and I'll go with ya anytime!!

Thanks again,
Chris

sounds good. I go about every other week atleast. we also do an urban assult ride in tampa that is tons of fun. racing down the 4 story 3 level stair cases at the convention center is killer fun

the trail at alifia are around 15 total miles so there is TONS of great stuff

[Northtampatang]

Keith,

Its a 2003 Rockhopper A1 with RS Judys. Yeah I know, not the most expensive ride, but I love the feel of it


I do have a Research Dynamics Coyote Pro though, but the frame is a bit big. with my Specialized, I can manhandle it around where I want.


keep me posted about the trail schedule . . . .


Wes

BTW - 15 MI is a warm-up :eek1:

[BlitzK]

I got a huffy... or maybe its a trek (one of the cheap ones too)... hah

[oceana]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6813431#post6813431 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Northtampatang
Keith,

Its a 2003 Rockhopper A1 with RS Judys. Yeah I know, not the most expensive ride, but I love the feel of it


I do have a Research Dynamics Coyote Pro though, but the frame is a bit big. with my Specialized, I can manhandle it around where I want.


keep me posted about the trail schedule . . . .


Wes

BTW - 15 MI is a warm-up :eek1:


its not about how much the bike cost. there are guys out there riding 15 year old bikes that kick azs.
last weekend we saw a kid on a regular old BMX. he was tearing it up!! some of the climbs of course he had to walk but all and all we were really impressed.

if 15 miles of the double diamond and triple diamond trails is a warm up then your above my skill level that for sure.

[Northtampatang]

BTW - 15 MI is a warm-up

There was supposed to be sarcasm noted there LOL

[gillies]

I raced BMX as a kid (about 1978). One day some other kid shows up on a Huffy. We all laughed and talked smack behind his back until he proceeded to kick all our butts!

There is nothing wrong with having a nice ride, just never dis' the guy on a Huffy!

[Warnberg]

I ride once in a while, not to the extreme I see above but my TREK and I do just fine....

[oceana]

i guess it rained rather hard last night at alifia and should again tomorrow so things have been changed to a urban ride through down town tampa. I will post again if we will be going next weekend. that park gets nasty after a good rain

[aquajon]

i have been riding alot up off fletcher. and it is not to bad, some fast single track stuff... where is alafia at?
also been down to boyette rd a few yrs back, but have not been there recently.. i would like to go sometime. we should plan a weekend ride sometime

[kabboord]

I used to ride 'powerlines' and a bunch of different places most mountain bikers would consider kind of wussy when I was in school up in Gainesville. My bike now is in complete disrepair. I never rode anything too tuff, as when I was riding I was 225 lbs (6 foot) with a 325 lbs bench press. I was so big back then that I didn't have much for wind (compared to 150 lbs cyclists), and when I went down I went down big and hard. Took me two outings to remember to get out of my clip-ins when I stopped. Nothing is more pathetic then watching me slowly go over like an oak tree.

[oceana]

HAHAHA i can see that now. I have done that many of times. rider in front stops. you lockem up. start to tip yet you have not twisted out of your clips fast enought and WHAM your on the ground and your feet never left the pedals lol. glad i'm not the only one. I wont not worry about size to much Ever time i go out there i am rather shocked at the size of some of those guys. myself i'm 6.0 190. not super skinny but not fat.


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6828523#post6828523 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kabboord
I used to ride 'powerlines' and a bunch of different places most mountain bikers would consider kind of wussy when I was in school up in Gainesville. My bike now is in complete disrepair. I never rode anything too tuff, as when I was riding I was 225 lbs (6 foot) with a 325 lbs bench press. I was so big back then that I didn't have much for wind (compared to 150 lbs cyclists), and when I went down I went down big and hard. Took me two outings to remember to get out of my clip-ins when I stopped. Nothing is more pathetic then watching me slowly go over like an oak tree.