MTB: West Hartford Reservoir, CT - 6/22/08

[severine]

Austin you can borrow my bike if you want. It's hott with 2 t's.

The color would look great on him, too!

 

[bvibert]

I guess I could let Austin borrow my hard tail, but I'm afraid that crazy bastard would wrap it around a tree or something. One thing is for sure, it definitely wouldn't be too small for him.

 

[Marc]

I guess I could let Austin borrow my hard tail, but I'm afraid that crazy bastard would wrap it around a tree or something. One thing is for sure, it definitely wouldn't be too small for him.

Don't feel sorry for him. With his uphill ability, he needs all the handicaps we can give him. Two speeds for him should be a good thing. Brake rub, good thing.

 

[MR. evil]

Don't feel sorry for him. With his uphill ability, he needs all the handicaps we can give him. Two speeds for him should be a good thing. Brake rub, good thing.

Marc,

Are you going to join us on Sunday or what?

 

[Marc]

Marc,

Are you going to join us on Sunday or what?

Um... can we call it a strong possibility?

 

[bvibert]

So what time are we meeting? Hoe does 8:00am work for everyone?

I'd prefer closer to 7:30, but I don't have very far to travel. 8am works for me too.

Austin you can borrow my bike if you want. It's hott with 2 t's.

Does that mean that you're not coming? What's the matter, are we not good enough for you?

 

[Marc]

I'd prefer closer to 7:30, but I don't have very far to travel. 8am works for me too.



Does that mean that you're not coming? What's the matter, are we not good enough for you?

Coming from 1:15 away, I'd prefer 8...

And hopefully I have enough time to make sure my ride is good to go. See if I can figure out why TF my DT is ghosting on me, again.

 

[MR. evil]

I'd prefer closer to 7:30, but I don't have very far to travel. 8am works for me too.
QUOTE]

Brian,
I can do 7:30.

I vaguely remember the route I used to take, does this sound familiar to you?

When facing the main parking lot we would head left down a road past the basketball / tennis courts.

At the end of that road we would head right onto a trail that followed a chain link fence, then into some power lines. This climbed a bit and then intersected a paved fire road that had a fairly decent climb.

A ways up on the road we took a right into some single track that climbed some more and eventually made its way to the top of the ridge.

On the way up there was a large rock formation with some tricky switch backs we rode up and then a few 2 to 3 foot drops once back into the woods.

Rode the top of this ridge a while on some single track and then had a fun little DH that lead into a rocky stream bead (very long) that was sometimes dry, sometimes wet. Followed more single track that comes out to the dike.

Ride around to the other side of the dike and then back into the woods.

Follow some more tight twisty single track for a while that ends close to the parking lot.

The entire lop would take about 1.5 hours, but that was back when I used to ride really fast and my riding partners sode even faster. Now this loop would probably be closer to 2 hours plus.

Tim

 

[Greg]

Powhunter
Jonnypoach
bvibert
o3jeff
Mr.evil
Greg

I vote for 7:30.

 

[bvibert]

Brian,
I can do 7:30.

I vaguely remember the route I used to take, does this sound familiar to you?

When facing the main parking lot we would head left down a road past the basketball / tennis courts.

At the end of that road we would head right onto a trail that followed a chain link fence, then into some power lines. This climbed a bit and then intersected a paved fire road that had a fairly decent climb.

A ways up on the road we took a right into some single track that climbed some more and eventually made its way to the top of the ridge.

On the way up there was a large rock formation with some tricky switch backs we rode up and then a few 2 to 3 foot drops once back into the woods.

Rode the top of this ridge a while on some single track and then had a fun little DH that lead into a rocky stream bead (very long) that was sometimes dry, sometimes wet. Followed more single track that comes out to the dike.

Ride around to the other side of the dike and then back into the woods.

Follow some more tight twisty single track for a while that ends close to the parking lot.

The entire lop would take about 1.5 hours, but that was back when I used to ride really fast and my riding partners sode even faster. Now this loop would probably be closer to 2 hours plus.

Tim

I guess 8 is a more realistic starting time. My goal is to be leaving the parking lot by 11:30 at the latest. If we meet at 8 we'll probably get on the trail by 8:30, then ride for say 2.5 hours. I should be fine time wise.

Some of that route sounds familiar, but most of it I don't think I've done. The way you're talking about starting out is what I've heard, but I've never actually done it myself. The only time that I ventured out that way I took a left off of that road further up after the corner and basically rode some trails up towards the blue trail, which I followed to over near the dike. I don't remember being on a stream bed at all. Regardless it sounds like a pretty good loop, I can't wait to check it out.

 

[bvibert]

Does anyone else have any preference on the starting time?

Greg and I prefer 7:30

Marc would rather 8:00

Tim can do 7:30

Honestly I don't want to push 7:30 too hard because I know I'll be the one who ends up being late then. I have a bachelor's party to attend at Mohegan Sun the night before...

 

[Greg]

I need to be rolling out of there before 11 am and would love to get a solid 3 hour ride in so clicking in by 7:45 or so is ideal.

 

[bvibert]

I need to be rolling out of there before 11 am and would love to get a solid 3 hour ride in so clicking in by 7:45 or so is ideal.

Sounds like Greg has the biggest time constraints. Anyone else have a preference one way or the other?

 

[Greg]

Sounds like Greg has the biggest time constraints. Anyone else have a preference one way or the other?

It's not that big of a deal. I could always cut the ride a bit short. Early mornings are no problem for me since I'm up at 6 am during the week anyway, but I know others are not much of morning people or have to travel. I might even head up early and just cruise around a bit for a half hour.

 

[bvibert]

I can commit to 7:30. So far the only person that has a problem with that is Marc, who may or may not come anyway..

 

[awf170]

Austin you can borrow my bike if you want. It's hott with 2 t's.

I guess I could let Austin borrow my hard tail, but I'm afraid that crazy bastard would wrap it around a tree or something. One thing is for sure, it definitely wouldn't be too small for him.

Thanks guy (and girls) but I think I'm all set. The last thing I want to do is break someone else's nice bike. My bike on other hand, I would be perfectly content with breaking. As long as we stay on hilly terrain and singles paths I'll be fine since both gears I have are low. (2 biggest ring in back, and granny gear and middle ring in front) Anyway, I'm completely dependent on whether Marc goes since driving one hour by myself isn't a big deal, but 2 hours by myself there's no way.

 

[o3jeff]

I can do a 7:30 start time. Were do you want to meet there?

 

[MR. evil]

It's not that big of a deal. I could always cut the ride a bit short. Early mornings are no problem for me since I'm up at 6 am during the week anyway, but I know others are not much of morning people or have to travel. I might even head up early and just cruise around a bit for a half hour.

7:30 sounds like the best time.

Greg,
This ride is really not to easy to cut short once you get out there. It is one big loop, not like the mess of intersecting trails at Nepaug. But if we meet at 7:30 and are off and riding before 8:00 we should be done before 11:00 with time to spare.

 

[MR. evil]

I can do a 7:30 start time. Were do you want to meet there?

The main parking lot

 

[bvibert]

I can do a 7:30 start time. Were do you want to meet there?

I'm assuming the rear lot at the main entrance off of Farmington Ave (route 4).

Here's directions to the entrance:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...7174,-72.776527&spn=0.01729,0.037208&t=h&z=15

Pretty much from there you follow the road all the way to the back where you'll see a big parking lot. At least that's where I assume we'll meet??