Finally! First mtb ride of the year!

i don't have winter riding gear, so it's been exercise bike only since November, but yesterday I got out for my first trail ride of the year. here in SE MI we don't have the challenging terrain I got to ride for my year in the charlotte NC area, but it sure was good to be back in the woods. for anyone in the area, i rode the novi lakeshore trail aka tree farm, including all the "more difficult" and "most difficult" options, in 1:05. i had one pretty comical bail when i almost didn't get unclipped while trying to trials my way over a downed tree, but the rest of the ride was crash-free -- i guess i wasn't trying hard enough.

who else is glad to be back on the bike?

I am. But my first ride gave me two flats and did in the remainder of my brake pads so I need to get to work on the bike if I want to do it again this weekend.

No wrecks for me either. I still won't go clipless. I like the cost of using my old running shoes on the pedals that came on the bike as compared to a shoe/pedal combo. Plus I like to stick my foot out motocross style sometimes, usually because my speed has exceeded my skill.

Man, I sold my old Klein last month with the intention of just riding my cyclocross/road bike 'til next Spring and then getting another mountain bike. But even with the relative scarcity of trails I can ride to from here, the sunshine is making me miss knobbies.

I even consigned it through a local shop, so I have part of that new bike already paid and waiting...

You rode a good trail. If you come down to the Hell area (Pinckney Park, Waterloo Park, Brighton Park), we have some good riding, if you want some diversity.

too much damn rain. Its making me sick.

You guys don't want to hear when the riding season starts in the Fruita/Moab area

It does actually stop mid-winter as any rain makes some of the trails too prone to damage. But it dries in a day or two. I once rode Slickrock in the snow, THAT was a bit sketchy...

By the way, if any GRMers are making the pilgrimage to Fruita or Moab, drop me a line and we'll see if we can meet up. There are a bunch of pretty solid riders at FM, and we can show you some of our faves.

Just out of curiosity what kind of bike does everyone ride here? I work at a Specialized concept store in the summer but I recently sold my S-works Enduro and am selling my Transition Bank. What is your preferred type of riding?

Keith- Can you tell me anything about Mesa State in Grand Junction? Do you know anything about the Nursing or Business departments?

I ride a Rocky Mountain ETSX. Love it for the tight single track around here - I'm an XC guy, not a freerider. It climbs really well but lets me cut loose on the descents. One of my coworkers is a downhill racer, and it makes my racing look cheap.

Mesa state is growing fast and should be a university pretty soon. I don't know all that much about it, but my wife has a business degree from there and I'm sure she could help with any questions. Email/pm me if you want to chat about it.

Cannondale Rush here. I can't wait to get back on it, as I gave it a full rebuild his Winter. The mud's still a little deep around here from all the rain and any riding now would destroy the trails. I'll probably dust off the road bike once the rain stops.

I have a Giant XTC. I like it.

Angry, how was the condition of the trail? I'm always wary of spring riding since the area can be a bit boggy, at least it was in Lansing when I lived out there. Tree Farm is by far my favorite trail in the area.

I'm much more of a MTB noob, but I have fun nonetheless. I'm going to try to get out more - I bought an inexpensive 29er from REI as a closeout last year, so that should be fun. Most of my riding has been road or cross-country. I ride a Bridgestone XO-1 for most rides.

I have not ridden in years but I still hae my Bridgestone MB4.
As noted for the Angry One, Pickney State Park is a great ride.
17 mile, one way, off road course that requires the courage to go down a hill fast enough in order the maintain the speed to get back up the hill. There is also a short version of 5 miles.
http://www.michigandnr.com/Publications/PDFS/RecreationCamping/Pinckney_BikingHiking_trails.pdf
Bridgestone on Miata

Specialized FSR-XC Pro, 2004 model. after having almost no shifting at the rear due to lack of lateral stiffness from OE chain now in it's seventh year, i am ordering a cassette, chain, and mid/big front rings. i also need a seal kit for the Fox Float R. $150 in parts and a couple hours labor and I'll take 5 minutes off my lap time.

To the SE MI posters, Tree Farm was mostly dry. only 5 mud spots, for a total of maybe 6 or 7 wheel revs. looks like the cold spring kept people from tearing it up during the thaw. we rode Maybury yesterday after work and it was very dry as well.

i rode Poto once last year and being "fast" on a 10-mile trail (i was doing Tree Farm in the low-50's by the end of the season and did a 50:51 in the Tree Farm Relay) does not equal being fast on a 17-mile trail. i was wiped out by mile 13.

i also really like Highland but haven't been there since '05. i haven't ridden Brighton in a long time, probably not since Spring '01. Pontiac Lake, i haven't been there since '98 or so.