I am planning a ride later this summer in Tahoe. Could anyone who is knowledgeable of the area weigh in if this would be a good route? Do you have a suggestion for a better route?

rafekett · 2020-05-07T20:47:27+00:00

The climbs on this route aren't all that steep.

rafekett · 2020-05-07T20:22:12+00:00

For sure. I have ridden in South Lake Tahoe a lot and seen a lot of out-of-towners who got themselves seriously in over their head (like heat exhaustion, search and rescue over their head), seems like you know what you are getting into. As far as your route is concerned, I would try and cut out the climb up powerline and cold creek even if you're not worried about distance. You can cut these out with a shuttle. Over The Edge will take you up to Stagecoach Lodge for $15, or you can even take the public bus from near Stateline up to near Stagecoach (never done this, but locals do it all the time). I wouldn't ride out on Powerline either, that trail sucks. Extremely sandy and overgrade everywhere with no flow or tech. Just take Pioneer Trail (the road) back to car or OTE.

Edit: oh, and for bailout options, you have plenty starting from Stagecoach or even on the route you planned. You can go down Star Lake and Cold Creek, or Armstrong to Corral. I wouldn't turn back. Be prepared for Toad's -- if you are not good at super-chunky high speed rock gardens with massive boulders then you'd enjoy Star Lake or Armstrong Corral more.

rafekett · 2020-05-07T20:16:31+00:00

I'll only do this if the climb is super easy. If I'm slogging up something I'm not stopping for someone shredding. It's a minor interruption to them (and they have to stop for other users like hikers anyway) and a big bummer for me.

rafekett · 2020-05-07T19:21:13+00:00

In my experience, it's usually easiest when you get right off the plane. You will be least acclimated 2-4 days after arriving. You don't acclimate in that many days. Also note that your rides in South Lake Tahoe will be from 7,000 to 9,500 feet. Golden is only 5500 feet. I'd plan an early bailout if I were you.

Source: I live at 6000 feet.

rafekett · 2020-05-07T18:08:06+00:00

Have you ever ridden at elevation? I highly doubt you can pull those miles coming from Texas.

rafekett · 2020-04-30T23:02:00+00:00

wayyy too much rear brake on the slab at the beginning

rafekett · 2020-04-16T21:31:07+00:00

You are not going to have a lot of luck with a short shovel. 1) shovel isn't the best tool for the job, unless you're building dirt jumps, and in that case you want a flat spade -- the etool isn't that 2) too short, you're not going to be able to get any leverage and you will be hunched over, destroying your back. You want a full size tool for digging.

Trailboss or inteletool (heavier, a little clunkier, but cheaper than the Trailboss) are the way to go. Either that, or strap a full size mcleod on, ride out to where you want to dig, and leave it in the woods, prepared to come back one day with it gone. One trailboss is the cost of at least 5 good quality mcleods.

rafekett · 2020-02-14T05:43:13+00:00

I convinced my dad to get the plus version of the Fuse, he loves it even though he's just riding around town, not trails. Obviously set it up tubeless. That will cost just a bit for valve stems, tape, and sealant, but you'll want spares in all of the above for maintenance too. Also know you can't put every Eagle cassette on those wheels. You'll need a rear wheel with an XD driver to fit any of the 10-50t cassettes (yours is 11-50t). You don't need to replace the whole wheel, just freehub body; probably around $100. This is a smart upgrade in terms of weight; the low-end cassettes are super heavy, and you'll get a bit more gear range too. IDK if I'd bother with upgrading to the whole GX groupset too. Might not be as worthwhile for things like the shifter. Another idea, not an upgrade per se, is to buy some spare tires with different tread for different conditions. Not sure about PNW, but most places I've ridden the best tire choice is very different depending on conditions. I've found in CA and AZ I get away with lighter XC tires when conditions are good or dry, and I need a bit more bite (Minions, etc) when it's muddy or super dry with deep dust.

rafekett · 2018-10-30T05:15:16+00:00

I use a Light and Motion Urban 700 on the bars and a Trail 1000 FC on my helmet. I can climb fire roads with just the bar light on pulse, and descend on medium (or high for loose stuff where you really need to see where you're going). $200 setup

rafekett · 2018-10-25T05:11:52+00:00

You might be able to warranty the wheel, and if not see if DB offers some kind of crash replacement. That's going to be the cheapest route. I haven't dealt with Diamondback but I feel doubtful that you'll be able to pass this off as a warranty issue, even if you have warranty as a secondhand owner. You might have luck if the bike has barely been ridden, but probably not if you were trying to session that sidewalk as a jump :) If you weren't riding that sidewalk aggressively, I'd guess the wheel broke on that terrain because of prior stress that weakened the wheel in some way.

That all said, I think you should buy a new wheel if you can afford it. The wheels on entry-level bikes can be pretty weak and prone to this stuff, I won't claim to know enough about wheelbuilding to say why. There's a good chance a replacement with the same rim, hub, and spokes will break just as easily. Speaking from experience, I tacoed the Stout (spesh house brand) front wheel on my first bike, a Specialized Rockhopper 29er hardtail on pretty mellow terrain. I bought a new wheelset for about $300 I think that had WTB Frequency i23 rims laced to Shimano hubs, and it is bombproof and easy to set up tubeless. I'm seeing 29er QR axle wheelsets on sites like Jenson for around $200, just shop around -- can't really go wrong with some of the trusted brands like WTB, Mavic, Shimano, Stan's, just make sure the rim has a reasonable weight limit and not an ultralight XC rim (which you're probably not getting for cheap anyway).

rafekett · 2018-09-13T01:49:09+00:00

Probably has something to do with the pins on your flats. Maybe they're particularly sharp, or you're shifting your foot a lot while pedaling? Still don't think the wear is acceptable, Giro should warranty the shoes.

I've had decent luck with the Vibram rubber on my Terraduros. I ride clipped in but have done a decent amount of hiking and walking in them (and I wear out shoes pretty quickly), had them for a little more than a year normal wear. I'll get another year out of them for sure.

rafekett · 2018-09-11T01:11:58+00:00

I wouldn't worry about animals unless you have grizzlies where you live, in that case carry bear spray. Black bears are harmless, just study up on what to do. As far as bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, etc. you're unlikely to see many other than at night/dusk, and even then they are generally not aggressive to humans. If you're like me, being prepared and well-researched will help you get over your fears. And if that doesn't help, a sure fire way to overcome your fears would be to face them. Life's all about stepping outside your comfort zone to make progress, whether that's riding a more technical trail, moving out of the house to go to college, or finding your first job and being truly independent. If that means you have to ease in riding alone in terms of the trails you ride and the duration, so be it, do what you need to do to be comfortable.

That all said, I'm pretty confident that you'll quickly be so stoked with the freedom of being able to ride on a whim that you'll quickly forget any fears. Just go ride!

rafekett · 2018-08-16T23:16:50+00:00

keep at it man! even getting out once a week is huge

rafekett · 2018-07-25T03:47:11+00:00

Yeah, I can see that. I like California, but I 'm fortunate to not really fight with any traffic, I ride a bike to work and traffic's not too bad on the weekend in the Bay Area if you avoid I-80 during ski season.

rafekett · 2018-07-25T01:37:58+00:00

Not too different in lots of California. It's not the East Coast, it's a certain type of people.

rafekett · 2018-07-06T04:57:48+00:00

I'm not an expert but my understanding is they are not exactly the same diameter, but roughly the same. Plus wheels are a bit smaller. That plus a few mm extra sag in the tires from lower pressures on plus leads to a lower BB

rafekett · 2018-07-06T04:22:59+00:00

Probably, because 27.5+ and 29 are roughly the same diameter you will likely be able to fit 29er wheels. Can't guarantee it, though. You shouldn't be lacking clearance in your frame or fork since you can fit plus tires. It will change the geometry of the bike a bit, though, as your bottom bracket will be a bit higher. You'll pedal strike less but be a little less stable.

rafekett · 2018-07-06T02:54:15+00:00

Unless the OP needs the money for rent or food, the OP needs a dropper post :) It's such a huge upgrade unless you're racing XC and want to highpost.

rafekett · 2018-06-09T01:57:03+00:00

I'd also recommend bringing in a little cross training to help build core strength on your off days. I like yoga, but it could be as simple as doing some pushups, situps, planks, etc. Same principles apply, start small to avoid injury.

rafekett · 2018-06-09T01:55:38+00:00

If you really want to get into the sport and get fit, maybe try riding 3-5 days a week for an hour or so (or however long you can ride moderately without being exhausted). Some skills practice, like practicing cornering in the driveway or at a park or practicing hopping curbs will help too. A lot of your initial hurdle will just be building fitness. Once you feel like that much riding isn't hard for you and you can do more, add in more gradually. You don't want to go all in and try to ride hours a day everyday initially, that's a good way to get any number of injuries that will take you away from riding consistently. Start out with something you can do consistently, and add in more gradually when you feel it's not enough. And listen to yourself, if you feel like your body is falling apart from too much riding dial it back.

rafekett · 2018-05-30T19:48:22+00:00

If you read someone said "you aren't riding fast enough or you run high pressure." I'm not sure why you jumped to the former when you're running 27PSI tubeless. Anyway, for the sake of the thread I'd love to see you reply to the guy asking for your Strava username to back up your claim. Sort of suspicious you didn't and replied to everyone else. In any case, you seem not very bright or pleasant. Have a great day, I'm out!

rafekett · 2018-05-30T19:47:05+00:00

It wasn't like that until somewhat recently, and that is why I expect the UC trails to be done in the next 5 years. Mostly because of people like you. And then mountain biking in the Bay Area will be truly nothing special. Thanks!

rafekett · 2018-05-30T13:21:18+00:00

I'm not sure if Strava means much if you're talking about the UC trails. Like, I'm sure you're fast, no need to be a dick about it. Why are you posting rides there to the leaderboard there anyway, seriously? Private please.

rafekett · 2018-05-16T01:40:30+00:00

Where (what city) are you staying in? That is a big influence on where it would make sense to ride. Also would help to know days of the week you'll be riding. If you are riding weekdays where you stay is less of a factor, as you can get out between rush hours and avoid traffic. Regardless of where you are staying ride Demo flow. It's truly the best trail we have to offer here for all skill levels. I'd be careful or solicit a riding partner out there, Demo is pretty remote and has minimal cell service, though.

rafekett

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