Best of 2006

well, i supposed that'd be the Grand View Trail mtb tour that Amanda and I attempted on our Coconino's last Memorial Day weekend.

actually, we started at the Thunder Mountain trail and descended the 11-ish mile singletrack through some rad hoo-doos and crazy switchbacks to the western end of the GVT. from there it's ~70 miles of supposedly nonmotorized trail that tours the Sunset Cliffs, wraps around the Paunsaugunt Plateau, skirting along it's base on some pretty damn remote trail, climbing to the the crest of the plateau on gravel roads, dropping crazy fast on sandy trails probably once used by stockmen and hunters, and terminates at the Sheep Ck TH east of the "fish hook" of Bryce C. National Park.

it wasn't all fun and games though. a fair bit of the trail gets very little use and is just plain hard to find. trail crews hadn't been through in ages, so rock slides and down trees were a constant presence. obtaining drinking water was also a reality of the trip, since it was generally only present in major drainages. that kinda limited where we camped and how much riding we'd committ to in a day. after the 3+ days of riding, slogging, and carrying our loaded touring bikes we took a "bail out" UP Mill Ck to the rim of the plateau, then rode 30 miles of gravel roads back to our vehicle at the Thunder Mtn TH.
it was a bit of a shock emerging from one of the gnarliest and remote trail bike tours i'd tried to a beautiful plateau, completely infested with RV's parked all over meadows (probably 60 different trailers or vehicles along 20 miles of dirt road), OHV galore (the only person we saw on foot was one fella fishing) and dusty roads. oh well, next time, we'll make sure we finish at a trailhead.

the Grand View Trail is completely open to nonmotorized travel and is an EPIC of a trail bike tour. go light, allow 4 days to ride the trail and arrange a car shuttle or a day to ride the roads back and spread the word. this route is awesome and entirely underused - by nonmoto folks. anyone game for another attempt next spring? contact the USFS and search out some info if you like, but here's the beta i travelled with... water and trailheads are indicated. special thanks got to Greg G. for motivating me to explore this route, and apologies for not actually riding it with him. i'd like to make another attempt this spring and would welcome anyone that want's to go on a vision quest. any takers out there???

Best of the Baconstrip: Pancakes

So the trend is to do a best of list. Everyone is doing it, though they usually involve music and books and other stuff. We're going a different route. I'm doing a personal best of on i am indisposed, but this is the place to post your bacon strip related best of's!

Best Pancakes:

It was May 19th of 2006. Olaf was in my driveway @ 5 or 5:30 or some insane hour as planned. We loaded up to the towers in his truck and met The Grissly One. Waited a few minutes for J.R. but proceeded as it wasn't totally clear he was comming.

It was dark for the first few miles. McD cought up to us pre Poeville, just in time to see me faceplant into a ditch. Too early for bunnyhopping. We proceeded up the road past the pond and to the intersection with the main road.

Near the top of peavine we cought the waft of coffee and maple syrup. We were met by Matt and Mike from Patagonia who proceeded to grill us some killer cakes. Those guys rode up the night before and camped out. That's love.

We never managed to get another PancakeRide on, but I feel it coming in 2007!

-M

X-Mas Unicycling

Greasons Seetings!

Smella, The Bean and I went down to the unidrome and freeride park this AM to have a little sun and warm winter air. I had a perticularly good sessh on the uni. 10 or so trips across the court and all the way across the field twice!

Hope you're all having a fine day!

-M

bienvenidos, Nooner

The Bacon Strip grows thanks to our recent draft. Skid marks now stretch from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Crest with the addition of Nuninator, aka Nooner, or getoverheregoddamnit as our Pyramid Lake headwaters correspondent. Wildland fire fighter by profession, sawyer and trail builder by training, telenator and bikinator by day. Drinkinator by happy hour... bienvenidos. cuidado, piedra mojada, me gusto cerveza. Say, where's the pic of indian blanket wearing Tecate toting apres ski Nooner? Rock the house, my friend.

Japhy rider

Lawn Dart

this what you meant by "neck deep powder," N.J.?

Nefarious J

Dear Baconstrippers,

You may have noticed the new additions to our Team. Sphincterboy is our corespondent from the Rockies, chairman of the committee of redundancy committee, burner of the sacred relics, and fashion critic. His purpose is to goad us from afar and remind us of MontyPython lines we’d forgotten. Last words I heard from him were, “neck deep powder…” I’ll let J.R. introducs the Nooninator.

-M

If there are others who should be added to the team forward them on to me. (remember that our co-mission of providing dsigusting/funny content along with urban/dirtbag/hipster/pseudo-adventure)

Letter to the editor

RGJ,

In your cover article today on the traffic problems on Pyramid Hwy you focused on ways to make the road accomodate increasing numbers of vehicles. Why were there no discussions of ways to decrease the numbers of vehicles on the road? If the stores are in a compact area why is it necessary to have everyone in their own vehicle?

Adding better opportunities for public transportation and non-motorized transportation is a much cheeper option that is better for the community. Focusing on them first will create incentive to utilize them rather than advocating construction projects that come at a great cost to our community and environment. What's that? you say you can't go shopping on a bicycle? www.xtracycle.com/, bakfietscargo.blogspot.com/, better put out the cigarette(in an ashtray) and guess again!

-M

Keyesville

I'm going to make my de-butt into endurance racing @ the Keyesville Classic this year. Smella has agreed to crew for me, JR and GBG have shown interest. Anyone else want to share camp, kitchen, and cooler? Forward on to extended family who may be interested and let's have a ball.

Keyesville Classic
Retro Race
MTBR Photos

Lots of other stuff to do in the area including, riding, climbing and hott tubbing.

-M

play it as it lies

um, a few years ago, the Garros, B. Siebert (spelling?), and I were trail riding near Flagstaff when low & behold, a big dead tree was found to have layed itself across the trail. it was pretty freshly fallen with no easy ride around - the best line was right over the ~30" high log with the help of a rock or 2...
word on the street is that when a trail crew came through, rather than clear the rocks and cut the log, they bucked a section of log next to the rocks so you could roll up and over or ride right on by. perhaps they just didn't want to bother with moving those things out of the way!

stuff like this is a far cry from boardwalks and teeter totters that the FS is lashing out against, more like keeping things as primitive as possible. yet kinda spicy...

So high I think I got a nose bleed!

She found it.

-M

"Women who don't like swallowing..."

I guess it takes all kinds.

-M

Bootleg Trails

Check out the article in Moonshine Ink linked in the title. I can't believe those boogerheads don't understand. I wrote some articles for the Foundation For North American Wild Sheep a few years ago. The only reason that industry is so successfull politically is because of the money the throw at it and the taxes on hunting gear that go towards its regulation. Think of a 10% tax on MTB parts and how much we spend and how far that would go (and how much some of us save on gas not driving every day).

Good article, but clearly those guys still don't get it. I may be wrong, I know that I don't do enough to make it better.

-M

(edit: What I meant by that last statement is that while a good portion of that article talked about successes in trailbuilding within the system it seems strange that the comments would focus on going back out and building more bootleg trails that are just going to be torn down again.)
Further discussion: Is a wood ladder-drop in the national forrest any different than one in your back yard in town? Are constructed features, other than those necessary for building good trails, adding to or taking away from the natural environment we go out there to enjoy? i.e. peavine dirt, rim trail dirt, holeintheground rocks... Two-by-fours?

Plumas Freeride Park

After a leisurely breakfast of coffee and French Toast @ my house J.R. and I proceeded with bikes and dogs to Plumas Park for some tomfoolery. My initial trepidation over the wall drop was no longer an issue. There was some trials'n'. Some jumpin' and some down-right hucking. Thanks to the nice landings McD was only marred with grass stains. He actually rolled the shortest point on the wall, amazingly, then made the mistake of trying that again...

The Nooninator joined us and immeadiately took up with the shenanagins. The rock kicker was perfect. Once we got a feel for it and started hitting it faster the landing was perfect.

There's more to be done there including a nice wall ride and some kind of engineered kicker to take advantage of the nice grassy slope of the terrace between the fields...

-M

And where was the Grisslybikegeek??? AT HOME washing his tights!

Note: We were mindful of the old stone and mortar work and avoided damaging it. No rail slides, no grinds, bashringing.

Link Dump

For your reading pleasure

Bakfiets
Reno Rambler
Velorucion
iamindisposed

-M

Drop it like it's hott!

It may shock the Bacon Strip readers who don't know me, but I am in fact a chicken shit. One of these days my mom will find the shot of me getting way more air than i ever wanted when I was 9 on the bike path in Denver. My dad built me a ramp, but I was too chicken to hit it.

Any way, this stone wall has been bugging me since we moved into the neighborhood some 8 months ago or so. For Turkey day, For the Bacon Strip, for the hellofit: The turkey challenge, redux...

Hope your day is tryptophantastic!!!

-M

RenoBikeProject

Photos by the-cool ass bike geek Justin "Ubiquitous" Sullivan.(correction: on reviewing his blog, Justin is clearly a punk, possibly a punk-ass. Good photos though.)

Smella and I hit the Reno Bike Project party and alleycat Saturday. It was fun. Black Label was there with ther many monster bikes including a 5-high that was ridden superman no hands through the parking lot as a pretty fine exit. Then there was a mob-hotaugustnights-streetvibrators style ride after, that I bailed on for obvious reasons.

better than yard work that's for sure.

I bucked the trend by shredding the Vulture. Which proved a better choice when spinning down McCarran to 4th street. (yeah, we had to ride all the way to R@T board shop in the 6000 block og MaeFREAKINGAnn!) And on wheelie dropping on the mobride.

-M

Turkey Day Challenge

My plan now is to ride to our thanksgiving dinner in Wellington (76 miles according to Google maps). From home. Here's the plan:

1)leave the house @ 6:00 AM.
2)bundle up best I can cause it'll be cold.
3)Ride my Bianchi in normal commuting mode (42:15, fixed, (17t back-up freewheel), 32mm tires)
4)stop at least once for coffee no sooner than Java Joes in Carson.
5)I should have 6 hours before my ride catches up.

I'm taking bets. Post in the comment your bet(non-monetary) and the point you think I'll make it. Asuming it's not raining/snowing when I wake up bets range from "you chicken out in your PJs, (1:1)" to "You ride all the way including the last two miles of dirt.(10:1)"

Happy holidays!

-M

Outlawcross Reno Edition

Caption: "This is better than retarded monkey butt-sex!"

The Truckee crew come down to Reno (Mayberry Park)and met a sizeable reno crew for their 6th (7th?) "race" on a Grislybikegeek signature classic course. And you can see from the above photo we rallied McD for a double showing from team Wake. He was kind enough to hand me my ass about 3/4 of the way through.

Thanks to Shawn for setting up a SUPER fun course. Good flat straightaways for the roadies and good techy bumpies for the mounties.

Thanks to Kevin and Lucy for taking photos!

-M

Downieville

Sunday I rode with the DHReno crew. Hit Downieville DH and the shuttle. Above you see a shot of the Stately Pleasure Bike racked with not one bike that isn't a SC Nomad. Below you see a video of Don shredding a particularly rough section of trail. The only section I didn't ride. I might have tried it, but the rocks were wet and I was pretty sure I'd have recieved a generous smackdown.

I rolled one of the Nomads a little, but couldn't use the pedals so a full test wasn't possible. Super cush, but hard to pedal. The Vulture 29er got lots of creds once they saw I could hang. If they ever make a Fox Talas 100-150 I'm getting that 1 speed coconino. Down curved TT, 1.5 headtube, ST to TT crossbrace, 69 deg @ 150mm 71deg @ 100mm, ecc BB... Should be the ultimate freeride hardtail, no need for gears if you walking the hills.

They are planning on riding Dirty Harry Saturday. I might try to tag along to get pictures for the magazine. We should rally the TBS crew. I might have talked shit on your behalf yesterday...

-M

New header

I made a graphic for the header.

-M

Coming soon...

Sunday is Funday

This guy took a pretty good smackdown. But he didn't have the added mass of a helmet or pads that would have increased the impact trauma. -M

Wipe that smile off your face boy!

Our man griss was running on one good lung and one full of phlegm, but rode a good race today. Good mounts/dissmounts as you can see in the video. It was an MF of a course. I'm glad I was spectating and not riding. Those dudes looked like they were suffering.

-M

Outlaw #4

Yo,

OutlawCross #4 was super fun! I was so far out in front I decided to stop and take pictures. GBG took advantage and powered forward to victory despite my best efforts at de-motivation from the start finish. The Restless Ape was a little dismayed at the last two laps, but the dirt coating his two front teeth showed how he really felt.

Thank's to the Truckee Crossophiles for setting this up. We'll pay you back with an outlaw race down here.

Love and kisses,

-M

Cross Pics

Shawn: smiling like he knows something about chamois-butter the rest of us don't...
More pics HERE.

-M

Tunnel Creek Road

Whiteout

Others will attest to the fact that using whiteout in a laboratory is about as stupid as like, using testosterone in the middle of the Tour de France, or something.

-M

smithers!

Steve S. was down from the Lake last weekend to check out the local trails and see a bit of the town. Weather was perfect, trails were fun, and there was plenty a goin' on around the hood. Rode tracks on Peavine Saturday, then span straight into the neighborhood Pub for a recovery drink and some za. Gud times!
J.r.

fixed It

in anticipation of a great ski season, and therefore a heinous mud season on the singletrack commute, i ressurected an old road/touring frame and prep'd it as a fixed gear bike for commuting and town riding. i replaced only what was toasted and purchased as little as possible, digging into the bin-o-parts to scavenge for "upgrades." the bike, from here on known as "Harlan," cleaned up nice. i've put about a hunerd miles on it commuting and running social calls in the last week plus and the legs are comfortably numb. riding a fixed gear bike might just be one of the best dry land training approaches for tele season! that, and to make a leaner, meaner one speeder! a few pics of the process...

initial conditions


boneyard



the original seatpost was a bit short, and an odd size. no prob, just take a few 1/1000th off a spare mtn post from the box-o-parts


readers, meet "Harlan."


happy trails,
J.r.

This is sort of funny

Overheard in Minneapolis

Be sure to check back in tomorrow for pics, report and commentary on the Outlaw Cross Race #3 from truckee. I'm going to make sure Shawn keeps his pants on this time.

-M

This is sort of gay.

Faster Posting

Post by email by going to your settings tab and email menu. Specify an email address, select publish and then let it fly.

 

Water is off at the lab. Fortunately I wasn't burdened by that knowledge until I tried to flush down a three coil steamer. Both men's rooms are now thusly occupied. 

 

-M 

 

wahahahoa

this is trick

K'n A and T'n Names

this is a man posessed! who knew? - ridin' heavy, squishy, slow mountian bikes was such good conditioning for xracing? Ol'1eye is cleaning house and leavin' everything out on the course, including some skin...

Freaking Norwegians

What do a barnyard and a Danish Brothel have in common?

-M

He won't survive

I thought this might have been John, right up until the end.

-M

Dia Del Muerte

I'd like to say that it was skill that produced this result so fast, but in fact Illustrator has a new tool that just vectorizes images instantly. I still have to do the editing, but that will basically be easy.

-M

Bonktoberfest!

Harvest Moon this Friday night, fullyfullon at 23:15. Let's go night ridin', see what color the aspens are in HID flood, then, tear into some recovery drinks and usher in the preskiseason. How about meetin' up 18:00 at the TRT trailhead north of 267, ride towards Martis Pk, and ononon...

Imitation Tent-like Substance

Thems got stones.

-M

Critical Mass

Alleycat

This was fun. Had to bag the after party, though that sounded awesome. I learned a lot. Mostly that it's probably not good to be the first or the last into the intersection against a red. (you can see me just left of center (HA!!) in the black)
-M

Post, the first

As discussed with Kevizizzle and the Kangdigity Saturday, here is the place to post your disgusting vids, links and musings to avoid the embarrassing scenerio when you're telling a car load of dudes about the donkey show you saw on youtube and laughing, then realizing that you forgot to send it to everyone (might also prevent you sending it to your aunt millie).

Also might as well use this for rallying troops for rides or pubcrawls. I don't forsee doing much pubcrawling, but you never know. Smella has a little friend coming over to play Thursday, so I'm open to options. Perhapse watching McD bust his face open falling off his new fixie... Here's a vid:

-M