Red River still great

I made it out to Red River Riding Trails on Saturday with MitchnTx.

I hadn't been in about 5 or 6 years.

It's still great and the best private park riding in Texas that I've ever ridden.

I was hoping it hadn't changed and it hasn't. I don't plan on waiting 5 years to go back. Had a really good time.

(I did discover I was old and ache afterwards a lot more now though...)

We were there 3 weeks ago and it was really REALLY muddy. How is it now?

It is a great place to ride and a really relaxing environment.

I have been waiting for it to dry up a bit, I figured after all the rain it would be far too muddy!! Now it's also too cold for an old fart like me!! Will be back there in the new year when it's a bit warmer and dryer!!

Gary

copb8 said:

We were there 3 weeks ago and it was really REALLY muddy. How is it now?

It is a great place to ride and a really relaxing environment.

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Not too muddy at all. Red River is high so the creek is too high to cross at the far North end but other than that, water and mud wasn't a problem for us.

Honestly, a bit of wet to keep the sand from being so loose wouldn't have been a bad thing.

Thrasherg said:

I have been waiting for it to dry up a bit, I figured after all the rain it would be far too muddy!! Now it's also too cold for an old fart like me!! Will be back there in the new year when it's a bit warmer and dryer!!

Gary

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We started riding at 9am , it was probably 50 or 55 degrees. We rode for 20 minutes and turned back to camp to shed a layer because we were sweating too much.

Day ended around 68. I was just wearing a MX shirt and was really comfortable but my helmet and goggles were soaked with sweat.

Anyway....it was plenty warm for us. I would have preferred it a tad cooler.

2WheelNut said:

We started riding at 9am , it was probably 50 or 55 degrees. We rode for 20 minutes and turned back to camp to shed a layer because we were sweating too much.

Day ended around 68. I was just wearing a MX shirt and was really comfortable but my helmet and goggles were soaked with sweat.

Anyway....it was plenty warm for us. I would have preferred it a tad cooler.

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That is often the frustrating thing about adventure riding in cold weather. You bundle up before heading out because it is freaking cold. Then you get to the "interesting" bits of the ride and you start working hard. Before you know it, you are sweating like a pig and can't shed layers fast enough... Then you stop, and it starts all over again!

But hopefully each ride teaches you which gear to choose when. I have a couple riding jackets and each has various vent options that allow warmth or excellent wind flow when needed, usually without removal. Under that I occasionally wear two jerseys if really cool. Maybe a wicking poly type if below forty. Never ever any cotton if cold.

I guess if you are a good rider you can keep up enough speed that getting hot is not an issue I am usually sweating to death when it starts getting really technical I have not mastered the art of "flow" when riding in dirt. So I get tense and end up spending a lot of energy fighting myself and the bike.

The good and bad is that I'm 240 pounds and probably 260 in gear. I've got a lot of natural insulation so getting cold isn't usually too much of a problem for me.

Riding around 50 degrees is great. You just need a base layer, a long sleeve jersey and then something to stop the wind on top that can be unzipped when you get hot.

Once it gets to about 60, you drop the wind breaker and stuff it in a tool bag or even tie it around your waist if you don't have any way to carry something.

When you stop, you can always put the windbreaker on and zip it up to keep the heat in and the breeze from cooling you down.

Also... the big key is the helmet. Take the helmet off when you stop and you'll cool down a lot quicker. That can be good or bad. If it's colder, leave the helmet on and you really won't cool off that much.

My problem is always the heat, not the cold. It's even worse on a ADV ride where I'm wearing gear that can withstand a 60 mph slide and crash. They flow enough air at highway speeds but not nearly enough when you get to slow speed off road sections, I really struggle with overheating in those situations.

Interesting, I haven't ridden up there in around 10 years.

I just bought a new to me gas gas 280 Raga trials bike, so hope to ride there very soon (both Dirt and trial!!). Glad to hear it's not too muddy, don't want to get the new bike dirty!!

Gary

Thrasherg said:

I just bought a new to me gas gas 280 Raga trials bike, so hope to ride there very soon (both Dirt and trial!!). Glad to hear it's not too muddy, don't want to get the new bike dirty!!

Gary

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There's some great trials riding there. YouTube Red River Trials Riding for some cool videos
https://youtu.be/kSDyc-G8bj8

[ame="https://youtu.be/R6HfUurrdsI"]2010 Texas State Trials Series - Round 10 Sunday PM - YouTube[/ame]

Today was the first day I could stand and walk semi-normal.
My wife just pointed and snickered at me.
My quads were just screaming at me.

I can't recall the last time I really went trail riding.
I don't really count Walnut ...
Has to be 30 years or more ...

Still timid, but Dave's coaching, encouragement and patience helped get me through the day.

Biggest thing I learned ... the 500 EXC is so much easier to pick up than an XR650L.

mitchntx said:

Biggest thing I learned ... the 500 EXC is so much easier to pick up than an XR650L.

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Yeah, most good riders like lighter bikes because they're more nimble, I strictly judge them by the level of effort needed to pick them up.....a lot.

mitchntx said:

Today was the first day I could stand and walk semi-normal.
My wife just pointed and snickered at me.
.

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copb8 said:

I strictly judge them by the level of effort needed to pick them up.....a lot.

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Right in the feels, bro.

mitchntx said:

Today was the first day I could stand and walk semi-normal.
My wife just pointed and snickered at me.
My quads were just screaming at me.

I can't recall the last time I really went trail riding.
I don't really count Walnut ...
Has to be 30 years or more ...

Still timid, but Dave's coaching, encouragement and patience helped get me through the day.

Biggest thing I learned ... the 500 EXC is so much easier to pick up than an XR650L.

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Lol. Sorry for the pain. You rode great. Hopefully the fun was worth the pain.

Do it a bit more often and it probably won't even make you sore. But there may be a few more days like yesterday between now and then.

Seriously though...your ability and confidence at the end of the day was way more than at the beginning. You were really beginning to trust what that bike can do, and it can do a lot. It really wouldn't take you too many more days to be feeling confident enough to really get in to trouble.

I could feel it getting "easier" and not panicking or second guessing.

It was surprising to feel how the bike reacted to a fi****l of throttle when I figured it was about to stall. The motorcycle begets confidence and masks the rider's shortcomings.

The pain was worth it and am ready to go again ...