The Last Ride (of the season)
Nov 6, 2009
The last ride of the season comes in many shapes and forms. It could be your last ride due to weather conditions. It could be your last ride due to an injury. For some there is no last ride. But regardless of your lifestyle there is always a beginning and end to the season.
James Healey, Terry Hauk and myself ventured into the woods to see if the fall weather could show us what a last ride means.
Pics and Video inside!
James Healey, Terry Hauk and myself ventured into the woods to see if the fall weather could show us what a last ride means.
Pics and Video inside!
Fall is that time of year when riders typically put the bikes into storage and prepare for ski season. Rain is more frequent, the temperature has dropped and it gets dark by the time everyone is off work. Fall is also that time of year to take advantage of unique trail conditions. The fallen leaves add an extra layer of grease, heavy rain provides spongy loam and near freezing temperatures leave no room for error. It's a perfect time of year to re-learn your favorite trails. A Black Diamond trail can quickly become a Double Black Diamond after a rainfall. The trails can quickly become too hazardous though and it's good to avoid an obvious crash. Don't make your last ride a bad memory.
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Most extreme sports enthusiasts have been injured at one point or another. It's just part of the game and it usually starts with a simple thought. "This is my last run of the day." Focusing on getting to the bottom to enjoy that nice cold beer overtakes the focus of getting there safely. Hit a few jumps, pump a few corners and before you know it you're in a big cloud of dust wondering what's happened. Your concerned friends come running and help untangle you from your bike. You feel fine but it's just the adrenaline playing tricks. The first words out of your mouth are, "Is my bike okay?" A couple hours later you're at home, in a cast, watching Disorder 10. But making it through a season unscathed is not difficult. Knowing your limits is one way of accomplishing this and enjoying that last ride even more.
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Living on the west coast we have access to trails nearly year round so it's important to keep healthy and uninjured. Many riders here don't do "last rides." They ride in every condition all year long. Since moving to the coast I have heard riders talk about snow riding countless times. Many of the trails remain rideable even in February. Even though riding on ice is not as fun as it sounds it is possible and something to at least try. Riding through the winter is good training for the next season. There is always an end to the previous season whether it is in November or February but for a lot of riders there is no last ride.
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Keep riding and make those last rides, however they come to be, as memorable as possible.
Brody
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63 Comments
- + 5
jameshealey
(Nov 3, 2009 at 20:00)
that was a fun day!!
Yeah that's how it is on the Canadian east coast as well plus some giant mud baths everywhere. That is, until the trails are covered by meters of snow.
yes, domster the snow on the east is troublesome to ride bikes on, but that is when we shift gears from bikes, to snowboards, always out side, always having fun.
Just want to add, i went out yesterday in the cold sun and the mud was frozen, fast and slippy, riding is good all year round, just got to have some fun eh?
Beutiful pictures.....,I live on the west coast in British Coloumia and there is no " end of the season ride ", which is awesome to be able to ride all year around. I may miss 5-7 rides a year because of snow, but other than that I go out ,dress well, get wet and muddy, but always come home smilin'! :>
the weathers the same in the UK, you can ride all year round, apart from like the one day of snow we have each year, and it gets dark early so ride time is cut short, just means you have to get things done quicker, but sometimes i prefer to stay at home than ride in freezing conditions in terrential rain and high speed winds, but most of the time i'l still ride. a little saying i have "if you can ride fast in the wet, you can ride faster in the dry" the winter is a good time to practice for the upcoming season to get those few more places closer to the podium. epic article by the way!
i try to ride all year if i can to keep my fitness level up even if its only for a hour. keep riding guys
Wooohhh!! Dangerous trails in the wet!!? Lol Its cold and wet here all year round! last ride indeed!.. Pffft!
Depends a lot of what kind of forests you have .
Today I was riding in our woods and it wasn't to nice.Because we have a lot of oaks,ash tree,beech and all their leaves had fallen and you can't see the track, also under them is wet . So you are confident that everything is OK but when trying to brake you are in trouble and you hit stuff you don't even know that are there because they are buried by leaves.
On the section where are pins,spruces, firs is OK because you see the trail even if it's wet, no leaves.
Today I was riding in our woods and it wasn't to nice.Because we have a lot of oaks,ash tree,beech and all their leaves had fallen and you can't see the track, also under them is wet . So you are confident that everything is OK but when trying to brake you are in trouble and you hit stuff you don't even know that are there because they are buried by leaves.
On the section where are pins,spruces, firs is OK because you see the trail even if it's wet, no leaves.
True that.
I find my trails ride more predictably in the wet, just not as fast rolling. Fort william definatly rides better when its damp.
I find my trails ride more predictably in the wet, just not as fast rolling. Fort william definatly rides better when its damp.
very nice read. even though we have rays. the hardcore guys in cleveland will ride into the depths of winter
looks pretty dry to me lol.... prob gunna get slated for this but whats that bike with the totems on? never seen one before!
nice article, it makes me want to go on another ride. luckily i live in california so i can ride all season long
Well.. It was a great season past. Hope to get out for a ride more or so but. Doubtful to see a day like this left in the year.
konagoern (7 hours ago)
"...that´s why you are tougher than those boys!"
hes been watching seasons recently lol
"...that´s why you are tougher than those boys!"
hes been watching seasons recently lol
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I don't really get winter living in Socal. I live in Yucaipa which is below Big Bear we dont get that much snow if any at all. We have hills similar to Kamloops but without the sick trails. The only draw back is that the MTB scen here is nothing compared to BC.
lol at the last pic
fall is a strange month, find december, jan and feb the nastyest months in UK tho, everything is soo cold
fall is a strange month, find december, jan and feb the nastyest months in UK tho, everything is soo cold
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went out for a ride this morning at a local mountain, im in vancouver BC, and man was it ever cold and wet, so foggy i could hardly make out bits of the trail if i was riding with speed, none the less when i got home i was stoked, going to try and ride, but once full winter hits you have to stick with the trails that start lower down the mountain, Ill see you all up whistler come may
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I kinda like the offseason, gives me a chance to heal up, train for the up coming season, overhaul my bike, snowboard!! (great cross-training btw). Really makes you appreciate the time you are able to get on the bike. Personally, I like the challenge of training and trying to get stronger in the off-season. Anyways.....BIKES ARE RAD!
shorter days and bad weather doesn't mean end of season unless your snowed in. last rides are myth. seasons are infinite
we are talking about the change of seasons and how this was the last ride of this season. The season is now winter (lots and lots of rain) There will be more rides. Just in a different season.
This isn't even the last ride for us. It's simply a story and the different ways people end a year.... Don't take it literally.
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Time to buy a good light and a rain jacket. When your off work at 5, dark by 5:30, and your feeling like a dog who hasn't been walked. It's time to soak up some of that TRUE West Coast Riding conditions. Favorite trail has turned into a river? RIDE IT ANYWAYS! Your bike looks better dirty!
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