Today's Ride

[Joe_Rides]

Weather, illness and family time has halted any exotic rides to distant places recently.

But I'm trying to get a couple of local miles in of an evening, just to keep the legs free and my sanity intact.

 

[2manyoranges]

Not your average day. Er…and not a day to use retro machinery...

Up to the car park at Crans, meteo says sun.

Spend half an hour faffing with shin armour, knee armour, armoured shorts, torso and shoulder armour, arm armour. Lift pass…check…pressures…check…water…forgot it…sun screen…drat.

Woman walks a goat on a lead past us. Odd. We assume this is part of the large circus now setting up on the area in front of the lift station. Up the steep steel steps to the station, useful plank zip tied on to help get the bikes up. A few other DH-ers wandering around with Forbidden, Raw…nice rigs….all worn and dusty. We know the trails here so we chat recent trail adjustments and other relaxed stuff.

It’s cool at 2000m but not the cold and snow of Monday.

Fiddle with kit. Let out some air from the front; usual neurosis about ‘have I got exactly the right pressure’ and then off. Grom already has trashed the blue and red, but I am on my first proper Alpine DH run of the summer so want a familiarisation run on the blue - and I am on a hard ar=e enduro bike (Transtion Patrol) not the Grom’s full DH Canyon Sender.

Well…it’s down the rubble strewn fire road to Chetzeron and then through the gate onto the Blue proper. Out of the gate the immediate speed is just great….and smooth and precise from the Transition over the first jumps and into the speed ripples in the berms. It’s all cool…I sense the Grom behind holding back - but actually I am maintaining a decent pace: let go when you can….get the braking done before each turn…’front brake is your friend, front brake is your friend’….let off the brakes and then high into the berm. Gravity pulling like mad. When we stop halfway he actually compliments me…gosh. He’s right that I am scrubbing the rear too much and need to balance my braking more…

So after the short stop to make mental notes we are off again and down to the lift for more runs.

Nice.

 

[The History Man]

Not your average day. Er…and not a day to use retro machinery...

Up to the car park at Crans, meteo says sun.

Spend half an hour faffing with shin armour, knee armour, armoured shorts, torso and shoulder armour, arm armour. Lift pass…check…pressures…check…water…forgot it…sun screen…drat.

Woman walks a goat on a lead past us. Odd. We assume this is part of the large circus now setting up on the area in front of the lift station. Up the steep steel steps to the station, useful plank zip tied on to help get the bikes up. A few other DH-ers wandering around with Forbidden, Raw…nice rigs….all worn and dusty. We know the trails here so we chat recent trail adjustments and other relaxed stuff.

It’s cool at 2000m but not the cold and snow of Monday.

Fiddle with kit. Let out some air from the front; usual neurosis about ‘have I got exactly the right pressure’ and then off. Grom already has trashed the blue and red, but I am on my first proper Alpine DH run of the summer so want a familiarisation run on the blue - and I am on a hard ar=e enduro bike (Transtion Patrol) not the Grom’s full DH Canyon Sender.

Well…it’s down the rubble strewn fire road to Chetzeron and then through the gate onto the Blue proper. Out of the gate the immediate speed is just great….and smooth and precise from the Transition over the first jumps and into the speed ripples in the berms. It’s all cool…I sense the Grom behind holding back - but actually I am maintaining a decent pace: let go when you can….get the braking done before each turn…’front brake is your friend, front brake is your friend’….let off the brakes and then high into the berm. Gravity pulling like mad. When we stop halfway he actually compliments me…gosh. He’s right that I am scrubbing the rear too much and need to balance my braking more…

So after the short stop to make mental notes we are off again and down to the lift for more runs.

Nice.

We need pics.

 

[Frankenorange]

We need pics.

We demand video.

 

[2manyoranges]

We demand video.

Rest day tomorrow. Pics the day after. And if we get the go-pro set up, some ‘moving pictures’…..

 

[Suprachrgd82]

Riding naturally aspirated with my boost-assisted buddies

 

[2manyoranges]

We need pics.

Pics and vid
Note the Transition is completely exhausted at this point but sighs and does another run….
…and yes…it’s rather steep the other side of the gate…




https://www.relive.cc/view/v26M7Zrew3v

 

[2manyoranges]

The Grom does the bread run. Starting at 2200 metres up in the Alps…-and manages 66kph on the top berms….


https://www.relive.cc/view/vRO78KeRMK6

 

[Hombre]

today a relatively short ride was the order of the day, but it was special, since my older daughter joined me. she doesn't really like off-road riding, is more of a roadie-type. she borrowed my wife's bike, a late '90s rigid mtb, which is a bit of a mish-mash, so this was an opportunity for her to learn the usage of a thumb-shifter... interestingly, she found it more intuitive than the rapidfire on her own bike. Iwas on the singlespeed, to level the chances a bit.

anyhow, I am proud of her, in spite I had to wait for her a bit here and there, she wasn't slow at all and more importantly seemed to enjoy the ride. she even said, that she would join me next occassion. maybe....

...and now pics (since without pics it didn't happen, did it? )

I also learned what a 'snapchat streak' is....

 

[2manyoranges]

today a relatively short ride was the order of the day, but it was special, since my older daughter joined me. she doesn't really like off-road riding, is more of a roadie-type. she borrowed my wife's bike, a late '90s rigid mtb, which is a bit of a mish-mash, so this was an opportunity for her to learn the usage of a thumb-shifter... interestingly, she found it more intuitive than the rapidfire on her own bike. Iwas on the singlespeed, to level the chances a bit.

anyhow, I am proud of her, in spite I had to wait for her a bit here and there, she wasn't slow at all and more importantly seemed to enjoy the ride. she even said, that she would join me next occassion. maybe....

...and now pics (since without pics it didn't happen, did it? )

I also learned what a 'snapchat streak' is....

Great pic of the two bikes lying together - a true companion ride….