February Recap
Pace Bend Park
In the beginning of the month, I was invited by Austin Ridge Riders Trails Director Cullen McMorrow to Pace Bend Park to meet with trail steward Alan Clark, and Land Manager Jason Just to discuss the work needed for the annual Austin Ridge Riders race as well as the possibility to add new trail to the park in the future. I’d only ridden here once previously, and I found it more enjoyable this time since I am a stronger rider now. There are a number of technical challenges here – particularly rock gardens and tree gates – but also some incredibly flowy bits here and there, and a few scenic vistas. We finished up our fact-finding mission by surveying the wood features on ‘Powerline’ which have been freshly rebuilt or repaired by Tristan Evans and Boy Scouts Troop 52. They look great and it is comforting knowing that you won’t go crashing through rotten deck boards. There will be a few workdays coming up in March to prepare for the race. Join the Austin Ridge Riders Meetup group to keep updated on Trail Workdays.
Reimers Ranch Trail Work
There was an Austin Ridge Riders trail workday on February 19 at Milton Reimer’s Ranch Park, and we focused on repairing elements of the Flow Trail. Travis County Parks did us a huge favor by delivering road base and water jugs to multiple features at the end of the trail, and we were able to completely rebuild the Double Black Diamond step-down at the end of the trail, which is referred to as ‘Windmill Drop’ The drop itself is probably around five feet and the gap is around eight feet. The ramp is rock armored. There are two boulders on the left and right side of the landing area, so accuracy is important; however, the long run-out simplifies things. We also modified the final tabletop to have three different options: a rollable line to the inside, a typical tabletop lip in the middle, and a left-hip stone-faced kicker on the right which puts you into a left-hand catch berm that lines you up for the Windmill Drop. Ultimately, we were only able to complete maintenance on four of probably 30 or so elements that make up this trail. It will take a lot of work on future dig days. Join the Austin Ridge Riders Meetup group to keep updated on Trail Workdays.
Best Side Trails Bike Farm Jam - February 20, 2022
I was invited by Garrett Gray to the Jam at Best Side Trails to cap off their big fundraising and buildout push for phase 2, which has now been completed. The site is incredible, and the shapes Will Blount have crafted are top notch. So many riders came together to contribute funding, and a significant chunk of that amount was matched by Anthony Chen. This spot is going to be a paradise for dirt jumpers all over Central Texas. Garrett deserves a huge thank you for what he has accomplished, and I am very grateful he included me in the fun. The level of talent on display on Sunday was unreal. I grabbed a ton of footage for an edit that I hope to complete over the next few weeks so be looking for that!
E Spank Drop 2/9/2022
I finally did! I still can’t believe it. Huge thank you to my friends who came out for this, and another thank you to Andre who did not let me back down from this challenge. Here is the video…
Ride Reels: February 2022
Spider Mountain, Reveille Peak Ranch, and East Austin Bike Trails all make the cut…
Crank N Drank
I have created a page for Crank N Drank Here. I will attempt to keep this page updated with the Strava and Trailforks route for each Tuesday.
The routes for Crank N Drank in February were awesome, and the weather has mostly been a real treat. The first ride of the month was cancelled due to rain. We expected the following week to be hero dirt, but it wound up being a bit of a mud fest. I am particularly fond of the ride we had on the 15th out to Meridian bowl, even though I managed to break every light mount I had, and even lost my taillight. It was incredibly unlucky, but I had 11 PR’s so that was the silver lining. We got back to the cookout vibes on the 22nd which was nice! Jeff brought pulled pork and beans, Hank grilled sausage, and Vince brought brisket and homemade BBQ sauce. The route was an interesting one and I got separated from the group in the Heilscher Tract greenbelt, but linked up with the fast group for a bit before losing them and hammering out a totally different route with Phil.
Greg Klipp has been doing an awesome job leading the crew when Carl is absent. 💪
February 8, 2022 - South Austin Trail Network
February 15, 2022 - South Austin Trail Network
February 22, 2022 - South Austin Trail Network
MTBATX Merch is available now!
‘The Formula’ Graphic Tee is an instant hit, and these holographic stickers look awesome! Thank you to everyone who bought one. This merch is how I intend to cover the cost of building this website, bringing you content (think camera gear, etc), and also how I will fund some of my trail building activity in select locations in Central Texas. Current projects involve South Austin Trail Newtwork. I have new designs in the works and have been looking to include posters and transfer stickers to match the T-Shirts. Head to the store to see what Is available.
