August Recap
Waylon hanging out with the crew - Walnut Creek Pup Track
Good trails depend on the right amount of water; too much makes for a muddy mess and if they are too dry they crumble to dust. This summer, the trails have been a dust bowl, so when the rains finally came I was happy to spend some time off the bike! Instead - like so many in Central Texas - I strapped my MacLeod to my backpack and ventured out on foot to fix some damaged areas and build some more fun just in time for cooler weather and a great riding season.
I have also launched a new tee shirt design, available to purchase through Friday, Septmber 9, 2022. I was able to make a donation to Austin Ridge Riders on behalf of MTBATX last week and it is thanks to everyone who picked up a shirt, hat, or sticker over the last few months! Thanks for making that a success :)
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Ripmo’s First Rip of Spider Mountain
Spider Mountain
I joined Aidan, Cullen, Greg, and Juan for a trip to SPider Mountain to check out the updated to “Antidote” and see how my new Ripmo AF felt out there. I was a little nervous being on a new bike, and I had heard stories of people crashing due to how poppy the updated jumps were, but I got on with it just fine. New Antidote is incredible and the Ripmo feels natural in the air! Once again, being on a smaller bike has been a huge game changer for me.
The crew has been hard at work all over the mountain. Most jumps have been fixed up with well defined lips that are more playful. This means that if you are uncomfortable being in the air, you may find you need to take it a little slower the next time you go.
The biggest update is that Sleep Tight is now open to the public - at least to those who dare and feel confident. The trail now starts with a sweet slab rock hip jump, followed by a fast and low step down into a catch berm. The main drop below the lift has been made taller thanks to a wood platform that takes the place of the original natural rock ledge. While the technical aspect of the drop has been lessened somewhat by the fact that you no longer have to maintain composure over steep staircase ledges, you are in the air for much longer, and the hit is going to be much bigger. A second rollable drop platform is there as a B line while you work up the nerve to take the big plunge. After the drop, there is a swooping right and left, before a big trick booter with a nice big landing.
More updates are coming too, as Spider Mountain prepares to host Round 1 of the Trail Party Texas Enduro Cup!
Biketown Premier
Austin Ridge Riders recently began revamping their social media presence to drive deeper community engagement, and there is no better example than the recent “Biketown” documentary premier at Oskar Blues Taproom which saw a massive turnout and was a universally well-loved event.
You can read thE full blog post here.
Gaylord Sackler Skate Park
A new skate park and pump track has opened in the Mueller subdivision and I can tell this is going to become a regular destination once I have an opportunity to buy a Dirt Jumper. I went there on a Saturday evening to grab photos of my buddies, and was pleasantly suprised to see my friend Julian there, as well as Caleb. They brought the tiny bikes for the evening, and a few tricks.
The clouds were moody and the vibe was super chill. The park was packed and while skaters are definitely the primary user group, this is going to be a popular spot for anyone looking to improve their pump track skills and bike handling in general.
Crank N Drank
Carl has been off on vacation and Greg has been doing an awesome job of running the show while he is away. The weather has postponed the last two rides as the trails have been too muddy; however, the rain was badly needed so the delay is tolerable! Normal riding looks set to resume on September 6th with good dirt and little dust.
Wednesday Night Groadie (S)Miles
We got 3.5 wednesday night groadie rides in this month, the half ride was a total washout, a bit of a crapshoot, but also a bit fun in a weird way!
Greg was there the first time I rode Pace Bend, the Greenbelt, and Spider Mountain. I was there for his first SATN ride, where I lost him. We've ridden bikes together in Bentonville. We've put in hundreds of miles together in a short amount of time, but now he's moving to Colorado to start work in the cycling industry, so he will also be there for my first bike ride in Colorado. A very chill dude, a great riding buddy, an awesome friend, and I wish him the best luck with his new career. We are all going to miss him on our Wednesday rides.
On the 31st we were set to try a new shorter route that would avoid potentially muddy spots, but the sky was threatening all evening. Without fail, the temperature droped and the sky opened up just as we passed under I-35. By the time we made it back to the start point, we were completely soaked. I had crushed granite in my teeth, and the bike was a disaster.
DIRTY CHURCH + Bluegroove Revival
@unfilteredgage helps prep the pump track
The pump track at walnut creek received a lot of love thanks to the rain! Julie Engler had a chance to join the congregation and wrote a fantastic blog post about her experience, which you can read here.
I had a personal victory this month and graduated to the outside line, which has the bigger, steeper tabletops. I am completely comfortable on the first one, but I can tell I need a little work on the second. For some reason I was having a hell of a time fully clearing that, with just a mild rear case.
On Sunday, October 2, 2022 is Dirty Church #23 + Bluegroove Revival. A “Bluegroove” is a well worn line on the transition of a dirt jump, Characterized by a deep blue-black stripe of rubber. “Bluegroove Revival” refers to a needed revival of the dirt jump scene in Central Texas. “Hippie” Josh Congleton has been working hard towards this revival by organizing Dirty Church all summer long, culminating in this big jam in October. Keep an eye on the event page for details and updates as they roll in, and plan to bring yourself and a bike to the Walnut Creek Pump Track on October 2!
Beginner Rider Survey Results
It was interesting reading the results of the beginner rider survey! Many of us started on a Trek (particularly the 3 series) and riding by ourselves, and we did so for adventure, followed closely by physical health. Riding skills appears to be the bigger challenge over fitness, and very few people admitted to crashing on their first ride.
One reader sent in the following new rider story:
One of the first real rides I took was down Firehouse Southbound on my Cannondale hybrid bike in the middle of summer and I absolutely ate shit into a cactus and it even punctured my CamelBak bladder. I swore off that trail for literally months of riding and even now I hate riding it when it gets really dry outside.
Yeah eff that cactus - What a prick! Glad you “stuck” with it!
Take a look at the charts below*, and if you want a real deep dive, you can view the raw data here. Thanks to those of you who suggested a new survey topic! Stay tuned for another survey soon!
*Yes I am aware that there are way more rad things to be doing then making graphs.
Site Updates and Contributors
Julie Engler, Hotter N’ Hell Race Weekend
Welcome Julie Engler, our first contributing author on MTBATX.com. You can read about her first trip to Dirty Church, as well as her Hotter N’ Hell Race Weekend Recap here.
Julie is badass in the community and spends a lot of time helping other riders improve their fitness and skills while also working as a brand ambassador Administrator for Athletic Brewing Company!
If you enjoy writing and taking pictures, and would like to share your adventures here, please feel free to contact me! I can only witness so much of the scene, and it would be great to be able to feature other people’s experiences when possible.
