MTBikeAZ.com

Today on the way to a meeting I ran into Marla Streb in the elevator. I asked her how Interbike was going and she said it was great, and that she’d already almost lost her voice from taking so much. That’s all I got to say to her before she was gone. Cool! I’ve had tons of conversations with Interbikers in the elevators and in the halls on the way to the Sands.

Guitar Ted says it best,

“The cycling passion oozing from their prescence is intoxicating.”

I can totally feel the passion oozing through the Venetian. I have a great time just reading the t-shirts on passerbyers. My favorite so far (before I saw the GC-T) was “Ride it. Clean it.” Interbike from the outside is still sweet. Tomorrow I’ll be looking for a way to sneak a closer look at the action.

After writing my last post I thought I’d head down to the Sands Expo and take a few pictures of the Interbike signs, since that was about as much as I figured I’d see… After a few shots, including the Interbike 2007 sign, I just kept walking… Made it up to the the On-line lounge, then I saw a door, a side door with a pretty view…As I crept up , the smell of bikes and the lure of logos captured me…I couldn’t help myself, so I went for a little stroll…

With security guards all over the place, I rememberd what Tim Grahl of Blue Collar said about taking pictures… so I turned the flash off and snuck a few shots of some new Kona’s (the Stinky Deluxe, Stinky Primo, and the Dawg Supreme –they’re a bit blurry though), the brown 2007 Camelbak Hawg, the Manitou Travis, and a shot of the showroom floor from the Masi bikes area.

Walking the showroom was awesome! All these new bikes and gear just waiting to be touched by the hands of buyers and bloggers.

So really now, how could I ask for more? I got a self-guided tour of the best place on Earth this week. Now it’s time to get back to business. Enjoy the pics.

I’m in Vegas this week…but not for Interbike. I’m here to blog the Six Sigma conference at the Venetian. I keep seeing all these bikers walking around with big smiles on their faces…dirty jerseys, and the look of freedom in their eyes. While I’m carrying my laptop and sitting in business meetings…there’s a whole city of biking going on outside (and inside too).

I’ve been talking to every jersey wearing, cleat clacking, helmet carrying person I see. From bike mechanics, to racers. Everyone looks like they’re having a good time. One rider and I got to talking about why we love to ride. He to told me how riding just clears his head from thinking anything…I totally related. When I’m on the trail, there’s nothing else on my mind but trail.

A couple of riders with red Trek jerseys were telling me how sweet the 2007 Trek line is. I didn’t catch their names. They also told me how great Bootleg canyon is and that I should just go there and rent a bike from the shop nearby, just so I could ride it while I’m here. I told them they should ride in Arizona some time, because AZ has some great trails…namely South Mountain.

I might run into more people worth Interbike blogging about. But if you’re looking for constant coverage — read Blue Collar, Go Clipless, or YourMTB.com. They’re all covering the events. Well, back to business…

I rode Hawes Trail yesterday morning on my new Larsen TT rear tire. A bike mechanic at Landis Cyclery recommended it to me. He said it was perfect for the Arizona dry hard pack trails. He said he races with the Larsen TT and was with Steve Larsen when he sketched the concept of the tire out on a napkin years ago. So I went home and read the MTBR reviews. Overall rating was good. A 4.20/5. The only negative was people said they don’t shed mud well. Not a problem in sunny Arizona (We went over four months straight without rain this year). So I went back to Landis and picked it up.

The Larsen TT Tubeless is one sweet tire. I loaded it with 3 oz. of Bontrager Super Juice and set out to give it a good ride. I’ve used True Goo and Slime in other tires. Both evaporated out within a month. Maybe it was the tire, maybe the sealant. I thought I’d give the Super Juice a shot since Bonti’s been good to me. The L.U.S.T. (Lightweight Ultimate Sidewall Technology) makes the Larsen TT lightweight while increasing air retention.

The tire lived up it all I’ve heard about it. Traction was excellent on the Hawes hardpack and loose dry soil. It climbed great, no spinning or slipping at all. The next test will be a South Mountain trail to see how it handles on the boulders.

The Larsen TT UST Tubeless carries a hefty price tag compared to your standard MTB tire. I paid $55 for it at Landis. I’ve seen it cheaper online…but online is no good when you need your tire today. The Super Juice puts a dent in the wallet too at $15. All that aside…riding tubeless with the confidence of a flat free ride…Priceless.

Update I: I’ve had the Larsen TT UST on for two months now. And it hasn’t failed me once. No flats no washing out, pure traction. I won’t ride on any other tire in Arizona.

Update II: I’ve now ridden the Larsen TT for over a year. With more than 600 mountain miles it still has good tread and handles well. Never had a flat, thanks to the Super Juice. As I said before, I’ll say again, the Larsen TT was made for Arizona desert conditions.

Update III: I finally had to buy a new TT in March, 2008. I rode my first TT for nearly a year and a half. For me that’s about 800 desert miles. I replaced it with another and am now running Stan’s. No tubes, No flats. Knock on wood.

On Labor Day I rode the Highline Trailfrom the Two-Sixty trailhead to See Canyon Trail (just north of Christopher Creek) then back to the 260. It’s the third time I’ve ridden this particular portion of the Highline trail. The trail was pristine.

The Mogollon Rim is a mysterious place. The ancient trees, the changing color of the forest as the sun moves through the sky, and the still silence that breaks only to the sound of my freewheel.

The first time I rode the Highline was a few years back, on my 2000 GT Avalanche, a climbing machine. There were quite a few downed trees on the trail so I decided to do a little service for my fellow biker and pull some of the smaller trees off the trail…No sooner had I hopped off my bike, latched on to a tree and started pulling…I felt a couple of sharp pains on my ankle, my leg, my forearm…. “Bees! Bees! Bees in the car! Bees everywhere! They’re huge! They’re ripping my flesh off!”

I dropped the tree and started running… arms flailing ’round, back down the trail faster than I could have ridden if I’d been on my bike. This one bee wouldn’t leave me alone, he hovered around my red, white, and blue flag helmet like it was some gargantuous piece of fruit, so I kept running, another few hundred feet down the trail.

I finally lost that last bee, surveyed the damage and found five huge stinging welts scattered across my arms and legs. Thoughts of turning back surfaced in my head…but how could I explain that to my friends…I wasn’t going to let a couple of bees keep me from a ride…A ride that was about to turn epic…

I waited a little while, then crept back up to where I had left my bike, hopped on and rode like a madman, fueled with adrenalin, and aching with the pain and swell of the stings, I continued up the mountain.

From the See Canyon trailhead heading east, the Highline trail climbs pretty good for about two miles. This section has it all, rocky and technical, sweet slickrock, switchbacks, roots…Then you reach the Drew Trail fork. I’d read it’s better to go down Drew than up Drew, so I continued on Highline headed to the 260 trailhead.

More sweet trail, up and down continuously for four miles to meet with the 260 TH. Then the choice to continue up the Military Sinkhole trail. I went for it not even thinking about the time…I made it to the huge climb. There’s no way to explain it except for pain. I’d been climbing for over six miles and could not climb an inch more. So I headed back. I got to the 260 TH at dusk and wondered if I should continue on the trail or take the highway.

The darkness of a moonless night set in as I made my way down the highway. Nothing but the reflection of my shoes to warn the cars I was on the road. I was nearly hit more times than I want to remember, cars swerving not to hit me as I rode the edge of the white line.

Back in Christopher Creek I still had to make my way up the FS 284 to the See Canyon TH and my parked car. Two miles of stillness and a starry night to guide me up the forest road.

I didn’t ride that trail again for three years. Then over Memorial Day weekend, I set out to finish what I started.

I began at the 260 TH this time. Took care of the Military Sinkhole before the sun had time shine. At the top of the rim, I took some time to look out over the forest in triumph. I then continued on the Vista Trail singletrack until it turned into a paved walkway that dumped me out a few miles up on the FS300. Made my way up the 300 to the 9350 turn off, then found my way to the 291 for the Drew trail I had heard so much about. Short, steep, and sweet. No lie. Only a couple of logs and lots of rockin’ and rolling.

I was at the Drew/Highline fork in no time. Still feeling good I decided to ride down the two mile decent I had painfully climbed three years earlier. Cosmic Ray is right on when he calls this lower portion of the Highline the Hoot & Holler. I was screaming the whole way down. Down the rocks, down the slickrock, down the switchbacks, and down the roots. Past the bees and took a nice break by the creek.

The climb back went well and went fast. Before I knew it I was back at the car. My triumph of the Highline was complete. After three years I finally got the best of the mountain, instead of the mountain stealing the best of me.

Which leads me to my third ride, the reason I’m writing this post. I rode the Highline again on Labor day. This time skipping the whole Military Sinkhole/Drew portion and screaming right into the Highline to See Canyon. There were at least a dozen downed trees slowing the decent, but the trail was in such good shape after all the rains that is was so worth it.

I took a few pictures and a self-shot video riding off a small drop. I only saw two other bikers coming down as I was headed back up. They said I was taking the easy way… I was battling a slow leak in the rear tire; the low pressure helped me on the technical climbs but slowed me on everything else.

The Highline is now one of my favorites. Next time I think I’ll shuttle from the 291 to See Canyon. I’ve climbed this trail enough. It owes me a shuttle or two.

Links

Gorp - Highline Trail Info

USDA Forest Service - Highline Trail Guide

Forest Service Map of Highline (PDF)

MTBR Trail Review: Highline 260