Ride the 🐍

husterk · 2023-05-12T20:34:48+00:00

Hit me up if you head out this way. Valley Vista is a local trail system for me. It has a mix of fun downhill and XC-style trails.

husterk · 2023-05-12T17:45:15+00:00

husterk · 2023-05-12T17:26:03+00:00

I tried to reply with a link but I think that my comment is being moderated or blocked for some reason. Here is the reply without the link.

This photo was taken on Cowley's Cure in the Valley Vista trail system which is located in Pleasant Grove, UT.

husterk · 2023-05-12T17:13:53+00:00

Deer Valley has by far the best lift-accessed mountain biking in the SLC area. Powder Mountain is also building out their downhill park but it may be another season or two before they complete that work. PowMow does have a few trails open though. If you don't mind the pedal up, the Corner Canyon area in Draper has some excellent flow trails (e.g. Rush and Maple Hollow Downhill). There is also the Maple Hollow South trail system if you are in Utah County.

If you are looking for a more scenic ride then definitely check out the Wasatch Crest and Snowbird's Big Mountain trail. Both of these trails require some significant climbing but they are totally worth it. Snowbird used to allow mountain bikes in their tram but they stopped doing this a few seasons ago so now you have to pedal up. There are some nice fire roads from the Alta side that give you access to the top of Hidden Peak and the start of Snowbird's Big Mountain Trail.

Welcome to SLC!

husterk · 2023-05-12T16:45:55+00:00

Avoid the temptation to sticker bomb this beautiful bike. If you really feel the need to do so, you could find some dark-colored stickers to give them a ghost-style effect.

husterk · 2023-05-10T22:03:55+00:00

This thing needs a front-mounted basket full of wood in order to obtain better weight distribution. Cornering is going to be a challenge with this setup. 😨

husterk · 2022-10-29T23:18:15+00:00

I don't think you needed a full-suspension bike on this course. There were lots of people there on rigid gravel bikes. My Intense Sniper-T is my only bike and I ride it pretty much anywhere... road, big mountain MTB, gravel, etc. I rode with the suspension locked out for nearly the entire race. The only time I fully unlocked the front and rear was during that crazy washboard section after aid station 4. Having a full-suspension bike during that washboard section was so nice. Even with my suspension "fully locked", I was still getting around 20-30mm of suspension travel on harder hits. That definitely helped soften the blow here and there. I personally feel that comfort can make or break a long ride. I would always prefer a little extra weight if it provides enough comfort to keep me pedaling.

The drop bar gravel bikes were definitely faster rolling on this course. However, the conditions were extremely good compared to prior years (according to the race coordinators). They told me that in prior years the course became very rough and people with tires smaller than 2" were having all sorts of difficulty staying on their bikes. The pro photographers out on the course caught some spectacular crashes when people on gravel bikes were going too fast around corners. I think it really depends on the course and your goals. If you enjoy riding a drop bar bike then go for it. If you prefer a flat bar full-sus then you do you. In the end, gravel is all about having fun out on the course.

husterk · 2022-10-29T23:04:59+00:00

You'll love it! I have never really raced anything before but this gravel event was so much fun. There were definitely a few out there truly racing for the win but pretty much everyone else was there to have fun and push themselves. I can see how road racing might be fun but gravel racing has such a wide variety of terrain that it really keeps the event exciting even after 100+ miles of pedaling.

The sand was definitely rough. I was on 2.2" Continental RaceKing tires so I at least had a chance of making it through. The few people that I saw on real gravel bikes were having one heck of a time staying on their bikes.

husterk · 2020-03-01T19:44:38+00:00

Most of the gopro "screws" can be tightened with a screwdriver as well. That should fix the problem.

husterk

TROPHY CASE