Dang. I hope he recovers quickly. Let us know how he's doing.
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Uncle is Great, Beer is Good, Dual Sport Riders are Crazy - Around the Bend 2010
- Thread starter Trail Boss
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Irony
On the ride out to Big Bend, Tricepilot asked me about putting Slime in my tires. I told him that I've been using Ride-On in my tires for 4 years and that I recommend it. This led to a long discussion of the relative merits of using Ride-On or Slime as a flat preventer.
All of this resulting in Trice deciding he would buy some Slime at our next stop and get it in his tires before he went riding. He checked at every store we stopped at between Austin and Big Bend but none of them stocked Slime. So, he contacted Shadman Pete, who was running a day behind us, and asked him to pick up some Slime and spare tubes and bring them to Big Bend. Trice would get them on Thursday evening when Pete arrived in Terlingua. Problem solved.
Of course you can guess what happened. A few miles down the first dirt road we rode on Thursday morning Trice got a flat. The irony of it all!
Luckily, Cody is an expert at flat repair, and in short had a patch on the tube and the tube reinstalled. But the patch didn't hold, so he pulled out his bottle of Slime and squared Trice away. I use quality bicycle patches from the local bicycle shop for all my patch work. They work much better than the brand that Wal-Mart sells. Cody suggested that an even better solution was to get patches made for tractor tires. He says they are much bigger and, therefore, work better on motorcycle tubes than do small bicycle patches. Sounds reasonable to me. Next time I'm near a Tractor Supply Co. I'm going to pick up some.
That did the trick. Old Ore Road here we come.
It's about 40 miles of 45mph pavement from Study Butte to the north end of Old Ore Road. The national park is serious about their 45mph speed limit so we kept speeds reasonably close to that limit as we made our way east then north across BB National Park.
A few miles before reaching our dirt destination we overtook Chad and Duane, riding matching Yamaha WR250R. They were headed to Old Ore Rd too, so we invited them to join us for the day.
Duane
Chad
Finally, it is time to ride some dirt.
On the ride out to Big Bend, Tricepilot asked me about putting Slime in my tires. I told him that I've been using Ride-On in my tires for 4 years and that I recommend it. This led to a long discussion of the relative merits of using Ride-On or Slime as a flat preventer.
All of this resulting in Trice deciding he would buy some Slime at our next stop and get it in his tires before he went riding. He checked at every store we stopped at between Austin and Big Bend but none of them stocked Slime. So, he contacted Shadman Pete, who was running a day behind us, and asked him to pick up some Slime and spare tubes and bring them to Big Bend. Trice would get them on Thursday evening when Pete arrived in Terlingua. Problem solved.
Of course you can guess what happened. A few miles down the first dirt road we rode on Thursday morning Trice got a flat. The irony of it all!
Luckily, Cody is an expert at flat repair, and in short had a patch on the tube and the tube reinstalled. But the patch didn't hold, so he pulled out his bottle of Slime and squared Trice away. I use quality bicycle patches from the local bicycle shop for all my patch work. They work much better than the brand that Wal-Mart sells. Cody suggested that an even better solution was to get patches made for tractor tires. He says they are much bigger and, therefore, work better on motorcycle tubes than do small bicycle patches. Sounds reasonable to me. Next time I'm near a Tractor Supply Co. I'm going to pick up some.
That did the trick. Old Ore Road here we come.
It's about 40 miles of 45mph pavement from Study Butte to the north end of Old Ore Road. The national park is serious about their 45mph speed limit so we kept speeds reasonably close to that limit as we made our way east then north across BB National Park.
A few miles before reaching our dirt destination we overtook Chad and Duane, riding matching Yamaha WR250R. They were headed to Old Ore Rd too, so we invited them to join us for the day.
Duane
Chad
Finally, it is time to ride some dirt.
Last edited:
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Walmart in Ft. Stockton is a regular stop on our way out west. Slime can be found there along with anything else we forgot.
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I forgot about the Wal-mart in Ft. Stockton. Thanks for the reminder.
I made it back to Dallas. You are right about the wind on Sunday. I spent a lot of my drive down I-20 dodging the tumblin' tumbleweeds.
I had a great time at Around the Bend. I've had my bike less than a year and this was my first group ride. I'm looking forward to next year!
Although it is bound to be less interesting that the currently unresolved trip across Mexico (I can't wait to hear this one), I've posted a ride report at the TW200 forum. Give it a look at http://tw200forum.com/forums/90388/ShowPost.aspx.
Richard, thanks for dis-organizing a great non-event!
I had a great time at Around the Bend. I've had my bike less than a year and this was my first group ride. I'm looking forward to next year!
Although it is bound to be less interesting that the currently unresolved trip across Mexico (I can't wait to hear this one), I've posted a ride report at the TW200 forum. Give it a look at http://tw200forum.com/forums/90388/ShowPost.aspx.
Richard, thanks for dis-organizing a great non-event!
tjrockit
0
Ken (dfwrider) had his tires slimed but got a good sized pinch flat that the slime wouldn't plug. Just goes to show you. 
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I run my tire pressure a little higher than normal off road out there because of the rocks just to prevent pinch flats. Slime and RideOn save you from nails and thorns, but typically don't help with pinch flats since they are slices instead of small round holes. So sacrifice a little traction to save the trouble of a flat.
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Story coming shortly...
dfwrider
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I was running higher pressure than normal, but my poor riding skills led me to hit a decent sized rock hard enough to pinch the tube and put me on the ground. Most important lesson learned for me was realizing that, in my effort to be efficient, I was carrying an inadequate tool set. Forturnately, my riding partners had the right tools to make the repair quick and easy.
Other than my flat and bounce on the ground, it was an incredible trip...being my first time to BB, I can't believe such a wonderful riding opportunity is relatively close to home. I can't wait to return.
Other than my flat and bounce on the ground, it was an incredible trip...being my first time to BB, I can't believe such a wonderful riding opportunity is relatively close to home. I can't wait to return.
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Old Ore Road
Old Ore Road in Big Bend National Park is my favorite road in the park. It runs north/south down the east side of the park, paralleling the Sierra del Carmen Mountains. It's a fun class 2, with the major challenges being loose rocks, ruts, loose rock ledges, washouts, sand, and pea gravel. It's also very scenic, with some great views of the Chisos Mountains, the Sierra del Carmen, and the desert. At 25 miles in length you can ride it in 54 minutes if you are skilled and fast or in a half a day if you like to ride at a more moderate pace, stop and take pictures, or want to get off the bike and hike back into some of the interesting canyons, crooks, and crevices you will encounter along the way.
Byron and Cody opted for the fast method, while the rest of us settled for a pace more suited to our skills and preferences. Within a minute Byron and Cody were out of sight and we didn't see them again until we reached pavement 2 hours later.
I led most of the way. I would go as fast as I dared, trying to get far enough ahead of the 4 riders behind me to pull out my camera and grab some shots as they approached. This actually worked out pretty well and I got some decent pics.
Trice and I ready to ride.
The north end starts off somewhat flat but that doesn't last long.
Stuntman Jeff leads Chad up the hill
By all accounts the WR250R is a great dual sport bike. Its owners sure seem to be happy bunch.
Tricepilot working the curves
The view of the Chisos Mountains is pretty spectacular from this spot.
I'm sure Duane could have just wheeled off this, but I couldn't talk him into it.
It was dusty. Nothing unusual about that, though. It is a desert, after all, and we were riding on a dirt road.
Old Ore Road has lots of fun elevations changes.
That's the south side of the Chisos in the distance
After about an hour of riding, Tricepilot's rear tire went flat again. The Slime caused the patch to fall off and the cut in the tire was too large for the Slime to seal all by itself. No problem - Trice had a spare tube and in short order the tire was fixed and we were back on our way.
We reached the south end of Old Ore Road after about 2 hours of riding, to find Cody and Byron lounging in the shade of their bikes waiting on us. The had ridden all of Old Ore Road in just 54 minutes.
Reunited, we rode south to Rio Grande Village for a cold drink and some ice cream.
Old Ore Road in Big Bend National Park is my favorite road in the park. It runs north/south down the east side of the park, paralleling the Sierra del Carmen Mountains. It's a fun class 2, with the major challenges being loose rocks, ruts, loose rock ledges, washouts, sand, and pea gravel. It's also very scenic, with some great views of the Chisos Mountains, the Sierra del Carmen, and the desert. At 25 miles in length you can ride it in 54 minutes if you are skilled and fast or in a half a day if you like to ride at a more moderate pace, stop and take pictures, or want to get off the bike and hike back into some of the interesting canyons, crooks, and crevices you will encounter along the way.
Byron and Cody opted for the fast method, while the rest of us settled for a pace more suited to our skills and preferences. Within a minute Byron and Cody were out of sight and we didn't see them again until we reached pavement 2 hours later.
I led most of the way. I would go as fast as I dared, trying to get far enough ahead of the 4 riders behind me to pull out my camera and grab some shots as they approached. This actually worked out pretty well and I got some decent pics.
Trice and I ready to ride.
The north end starts off somewhat flat but that doesn't last long.
Stuntman Jeff leads Chad up the hill
By all accounts the WR250R is a great dual sport bike. Its owners sure seem to be happy bunch.
Tricepilot working the curves
The view of the Chisos Mountains is pretty spectacular from this spot.
I'm sure Duane could have just wheeled off this, but I couldn't talk him into it.
It was dusty. Nothing unusual about that, though. It is a desert, after all, and we were riding on a dirt road.
Old Ore Road has lots of fun elevations changes.
That's the south side of the Chisos in the distance
After about an hour of riding, Tricepilot's rear tire went flat again. The Slime caused the patch to fall off and the cut in the tire was too large for the Slime to seal all by itself. No problem - Trice had a spare tube and in short order the tire was fixed and we were back on our way.
We reached the south end of Old Ore Road after about 2 hours of riding, to find Cody and Byron lounging in the shade of their bikes waiting on us. The had ridden all of Old Ore Road in just 54 minutes.
Reunited, we rode south to Rio Grande Village for a cold drink and some ice cream.
Old Ore Road
Old Ore Road is a fantastic route. I had installed the Moab shock on the KLR, and it was dialed in pretty good, as well as were the cartridge emulators in the front forks, redone with progressive springs and 5wt fork oil.
Running the sand and loose stuff wasn't a problem, but on one stretch, the back end started to slide in the corners....a lot. I stopped the bike to find flat #2. This wasn't really a second flat, it was the result of the patch put on the tube earlier letting go. Maybe as a result of the Slime, maybe not. I learned a ton from other riders about what to carry for flats on this trip - and I thought I had done my homework. I will definitely be trying Ride On tire sealant, as well as adding a 27mm Motion Pro tire spoon to the kit. I had carried a 27mm socket and a socket wrench, but the tire iron made more sense.
Most critical, I had ditched my Cycle Pump at home in favor of Co2. I'll never to that again. I'll also be sure to take my valve core removal tool, and some spare valve cores. We also found out that the tractor tube patches available at Tractor Supply were better for motorcycle tubes than are bike patches - I'll be getting some of those as well. I had brought spare front and back tubes for the KLR, but not spares for the spares. I went over to Ralph at CycleTech (nearby Terlingua/Study Butte), he sold me a spare rear tube.
My new list, based upon my experience at Terlingua this year:
Spare Front Tube(s)
Spare Rear Tube(s)
Cycle Pump or Slime Pump or similar
Cycle Pump Extension cord
Valve Core Removal Tool
Tube Patch kit
Ground Cloth
Pressure Gauge
Motion Pro Tire Spoons (2)
Motion Pro Tire Spoon 27mm (1)
Alcohol Wipes (to clean the tube)
Bead Lubricant
Small Camping Headlamp (2) (for fixing flats at night - one for a partner)
45g Co2 Cartridges (3) (backup for a dead battery/malfunctioning Cycle Pump)
Pliars
Gloves
Note: My KLR has a rat tail already connected to the battery. This is a very handy mod.
Note: My KLR has a center stand. If I didn't have that, I'd strongly consider a swingarm stand.
Note: Richard uses Ride On tire/tube sealant on trips like this. In talking with Ralph and the people at Ride On, I found out that Ride On is about 90 percent effective on tubeless tires, and 55 percent effective on tubed tires.
Note: I didn't bring a ground cloth. I really missed having that as the exposure to sand on the wheel bearing was a concern.
Note: I had practiced mounting/removing both the front and rear tires several times before this trip and before MexTrek. Someone who hasn't done this before, and trying it for the first time on the trail late in the day, might be in for a trying experience. I certainly am no expert, but since buying the KLR, I make it a point to mount my own tires simply for the recurring experience and practice. The vast majority of dirt riders have more experience at this than I do, I pick up good tips each time someone needs to change a tube or patch a tire.
Any comments or suggestions on what to carry other than what I've listed, welcomed...
Old Ore Road is a fantastic route. I had installed the Moab shock on the KLR, and it was dialed in pretty good, as well as were the cartridge emulators in the front forks, redone with progressive springs and 5wt fork oil.
Running the sand and loose stuff wasn't a problem, but on one stretch, the back end started to slide in the corners....a lot. I stopped the bike to find flat #2. This wasn't really a second flat, it was the result of the patch put on the tube earlier letting go. Maybe as a result of the Slime, maybe not. I learned a ton from other riders about what to carry for flats on this trip - and I thought I had done my homework. I will definitely be trying Ride On tire sealant, as well as adding a 27mm Motion Pro tire spoon to the kit. I had carried a 27mm socket and a socket wrench, but the tire iron made more sense.
Most critical, I had ditched my Cycle Pump at home in favor of Co2. I'll never to that again. I'll also be sure to take my valve core removal tool, and some spare valve cores. We also found out that the tractor tube patches available at Tractor Supply were better for motorcycle tubes than are bike patches - I'll be getting some of those as well. I had brought spare front and back tubes for the KLR, but not spares for the spares. I went over to Ralph at CycleTech (nearby Terlingua/Study Butte), he sold me a spare rear tube.
My new list, based upon my experience at Terlingua this year:
Spare Front Tube(s)
Spare Rear Tube(s)
Cycle Pump or Slime Pump or similar
Cycle Pump Extension cord
Valve Core Removal Tool
Tube Patch kit
Ground Cloth
Pressure Gauge
Motion Pro Tire Spoons (2)
Motion Pro Tire Spoon 27mm (1)
Alcohol Wipes (to clean the tube)
Bead Lubricant
Small Camping Headlamp (2) (for fixing flats at night - one for a partner)
45g Co2 Cartridges (3) (backup for a dead battery/malfunctioning Cycle Pump)
Pliars
Gloves
Note: My KLR has a rat tail already connected to the battery. This is a very handy mod.
Note: My KLR has a center stand. If I didn't have that, I'd strongly consider a swingarm stand.
Note: Richard uses Ride On tire/tube sealant on trips like this. In talking with Ralph and the people at Ride On, I found out that Ride On is about 90 percent effective on tubeless tires, and 55 percent effective on tubed tires.
Note: I didn't bring a ground cloth. I really missed having that as the exposure to sand on the wheel bearing was a concern.
Note: I had practiced mounting/removing both the front and rear tires several times before this trip and before MexTrek. Someone who hasn't done this before, and trying it for the first time on the trail late in the day, might be in for a trying experience. I certainly am no expert, but since buying the KLR, I make it a point to mount my own tires simply for the recurring experience and practice. The vast majority of dirt riders have more experience at this than I do, I pick up good tips each time someone needs to change a tube or patch a tire.
Any comments or suggestions on what to carry other than what I've listed, welcomed...
Old Ore Road
The Rotax Gas Packs are the new hotness:
The following is a tinaja (tin-ah-ha) along Old Ore, but not Ernst's Tinaja. I stopped at a sign of a faint trail head, and followed it down. I was pleasantly surprised to find this in the middle of the desert.
Richard was definitely in his element on the TE610. He is a superior rider anyway, but on that bike, he is FAST.
Old Ore Road is definitely one of the best dirt roads out there, and was a blast to ride that day...
The Rotax Gas Packs are the new hotness:
The following is a tinaja (tin-ah-ha) along Old Ore, but not Ernst's Tinaja. I stopped at a sign of a faint trail head, and followed it down. I was pleasantly surprised to find this in the middle of the desert.
Richard was definitely in his element on the TE610. He is a superior rider anyway, but on that bike, he is FAST.
Old Ore Road is definitely one of the best dirt roads out there, and was a blast to ride that day...
iphorde
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Re: Old Ore Road
Take front tubes only... You can run a front in the rear, but not a rear in the front.
Buy a off-road toolkit...
http://pitposse.com/pooftokit.html
This will have just about everything you need... I added a mallet and a couple of other things.
Don't worry about alcohol wipes. A few drops of gasoline will do the trick.
Also, why carry CO2 cartridges if you have a pump? Skip bead lube... A small can of WD40 might be nice, but not necessary.
Take front tubes only... You can run a front in the rear, but not a rear in the front.
Buy a off-road toolkit...
http://pitposse.com/pooftokit.html
This will have just about everything you need... I added a mallet and a couple of other things.
Don't worry about alcohol wipes. A few drops of gasoline will do the trick.
Also, why carry CO2 cartridges if you have a pump? Skip bead lube... A small can of WD40 might be nice, but not necessary.
Old Ore Road is a fantastic route. I had installed the Moab shock on the KLR, and it was dialed in pretty good, as well as were the cartridge emulators in the front forks, redone with progressive springs and 5wt fork oil.
Running the sand and loose stuff wasn't a problem, but on one stretch, the back end started to slide in the corners....a lot. I stopped the bike to find flat #2. This wasn't really a second flat, it was the result of the patch put on the tube earlier letting go. Maybe as a result of the Slime, maybe not. I learned a ton from other riders about what to carry for flats on this trip - and I thought I had done my homework. I will definitely be trying Ride On tire sealant, as well as adding a 27mm Motion Pro tire spoon to the kit. I had carried a 27mm socket and a socket wrench, but the tire iron made more sense.
Most critical, I had ditched my Cycle Pump at home in favor of Co2. I'll never to that again. I'll also be sure to take my valve core removal tool, and some spare valve cores. We also found out that the tractor tube patches available at Tractor Supply were better for motorcycle tubes than are bike patches - I'll be getting some of those as well. I had brought spare front and back tubes for the KLR, but not spares for the spares. I went over to Ralph at CycleTech (nearby Terlingua/Study Butte), he sold me a spare rear tube.
My new list, based upon my experience at Terlingua this year:
Spare Front Tube(s)
Spare Rear Tube(s)
Cycle Pump or Slime Pump or similar
Cycle Pump Extension cord
Valve Core Removal Tool
Tube Patch kit
Ground Cloth
Pressure Gauge
Motion Pro Tire Spoons (2)
Motion Pro Tire Spoon 27mm (1)
Alcohol Wipes (to clean the tube)
Bead Lubricant
Small Camping Headlamp (2) (for fixing flats at night - one for a partner)
45g Co2 Cartridges (3) (backup for a dead battery/malfunctioning Cycle Pump)
Pliars
Gloves
Note: My KLR has a rat tail already connected to the battery. This is a very handy mod.
Note: My KLR has a center stand. If I didn't have that, I'd strongly consider a swingarm stand.
Note: Richard uses Ride On tire/tube sealant on trips like this. In talking with Ralph and the people at Ride On, I found out that Ride On is about 90 percent effective on tubeless tires, and 55 percent effective on tubed tires.
Note: I didn't bring a ground cloth. I really missed having that as the exposure to sand on the wheel bearing was a concern.
Note: I had practiced mounting/removing both the front and rear tires several times before this trip and before MexTrek. Someone who hasn't done this before, and trying it for the first time on the trail late in the day, might be in for a trying experience. I certainly am no expert, but since buying the KLR, I make it a point to mount my own tires simply for the recurring experience and practice. The vast majority of dirt riders have more experience at this than I do, I pick up good tips each time someone needs to change a tube or patch a tire.
Any comments or suggestions on what to carry other than what I've listed, welcomed...
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Re: Old Ore Road
My experience is that this is only true for certain bikes. It doesn't work in every case.
The KLR runs a 21 inch front tube and a 17 inch rear tube. The difference is too large for the front to work in the rear. On multiple occasions - once deep in Mexico - I've tried to run a 21 inch tube in a 17 inch rear and on every occasion the tube ruptured within a mile or two.
Bikes with a smaller difference in size between the front tire and the back tire - motocross bikes for example have a 21 front and a 19 rear - can get away with running a front tube in the back tire.
But whether you can run a front in the back or not, tubes are light and you can get 2 tubes in one of those tube fender bags so I recommend carrying one of each.
My experience is that this is only true for certain bikes. It doesn't work in every case.
The KLR runs a 21 inch front tube and a 17 inch rear tube. The difference is too large for the front to work in the rear. On multiple occasions - once deep in Mexico - I've tried to run a 21 inch tube in a 17 inch rear and on every occasion the tube ruptured within a mile or two.
Bikes with a smaller difference in size between the front tire and the back tire - motocross bikes for example have a 21 front and a 19 rear - can get away with running a front tube in the back tire.
But whether you can run a front in the back or not, tubes are light and you can get 2 tubes in one of those tube fender bags so I recommend carrying one of each.
Last edited:
iphorde
0
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- Goodman
Re: Old Ore Road
Sounds like you had bad tube...
I've run a 21" tube in a 17" rear for over 1000 miles with out a problem on my F800GS... beating the crap out of it... I use Kenda or IRC heavy duty tubes.
Sounds like you had bad tube...
I've run a 21" tube in a 17" rear for over 1000 miles with out a problem on my F800GS... beating the crap out of it... I use Kenda or IRC heavy duty tubes.
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- Last Name
- Gibbens
Black Gap Road
Duane's WR250R threw a fit when Duane stopped to take a picture. The WR apparently didn't like waiting and flopped on the ground in protest.
One last shot of Old Ore Road before moving on. Stuntman Jeff making the DRZ earn its pay.
After an ice cream break at the Rio Grande Village store it was time for some more dirt. River Road east, Black Gap Road, and Glenn Springs Rd were waiting on us.
River Road is a 52 mile dirt road that runs the length of the southern border of the park, paralleling the Rio Grande. It's a very popular class 2 road with dual sport crowd. River Road is divided into east and west halves. The east half is easier of the two and can be ridden at a very brisk pace.
Black Gap Road is the only class 3 road in Big Bend National Park. It is only about 8.5 miles long but it pegs the fun meter. It is unmaintained and has abundant amounts of rocks, ruts, gravel, and hills. Well worth riding, especially on a true dual sport bike. One of the big adventure bikes would be a handful.
It was getting late so we didn't stop much or get many pictures. Sorry.
Shortly after crossing the Black Gap we climbed out of this valley. The riding is fun and the views are fantastic.
Riding through the cactus? Nah, it's just an optical illusion.
So ended Day 1. Upon our return to Terlingua we retired to the Starlight Theater Restaurant for steak, beer, and stories.
Beer is good, but you have to verify that every so often so I had several. I wasn't the only one.
The front porch was abuzz with riders. I love the front porch.
Time for bed. Tomorrow we are on an exploratory mission to The Ranch.
Duane's WR250R threw a fit when Duane stopped to take a picture. The WR apparently didn't like waiting and flopped on the ground in protest.
One last shot of Old Ore Road before moving on. Stuntman Jeff making the DRZ earn its pay.
After an ice cream break at the Rio Grande Village store it was time for some more dirt. River Road east, Black Gap Road, and Glenn Springs Rd were waiting on us.
River Road is a 52 mile dirt road that runs the length of the southern border of the park, paralleling the Rio Grande. It's a very popular class 2 road with dual sport crowd. River Road is divided into east and west halves. The east half is easier of the two and can be ridden at a very brisk pace.
Black Gap Road is the only class 3 road in Big Bend National Park. It is only about 8.5 miles long but it pegs the fun meter. It is unmaintained and has abundant amounts of rocks, ruts, gravel, and hills. Well worth riding, especially on a true dual sport bike. One of the big adventure bikes would be a handful.
It was getting late so we didn't stop much or get many pictures. Sorry.
Shortly after crossing the Black Gap we climbed out of this valley. The riding is fun and the views are fantastic.
Riding through the cactus? Nah, it's just an optical illusion.
So ended Day 1. Upon our return to Terlingua we retired to the Starlight Theater Restaurant for steak, beer, and stories.
Beer is good, but you have to verify that every so often so I had several. I wasn't the only one.
The front porch was abuzz with riders. I love the front porch.
Time for bed. Tomorrow we are on an exploratory mission to The Ranch.
Last edited:
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Re: Old Ore Road
It would have had to have been multiple bad tubes. I've tried it more than once and haven't had it work yet.
Based on my experiences there isn't any way I would rely on it as my primary strategy. YMMV.
It would have had to have been multiple bad tubes. I've tried it more than once and haven't had it work yet.
Based on my experiences there isn't any way I would rely on it as my primary strategy. YMMV.
JT
Forum Supporter
Re: Old Ore Road
Hi Bob,
This may seem a little over the top, but if you've ever had a patch fail you know how frustrating it can be.
I seemed to have trouble getting patches to stick on some tubes until I started using this little Harbor Freight hand grinder to scuff/clean the tubes. It makes patching easy. This little grinder weighs about an ounce and could be useful in other situations as well, tape a few different bits to it. $7 at HF, runs on 12 volts.
Save old tubes, test your patching technique at home, if you've not done it much.
Keep an additional tool kit for remote situations, I don't carry the whole set unless I am riding in remote areas. I only carry the grinder in my remote tool bag.
Hi Bob,
This may seem a little over the top, but if you've ever had a patch fail you know how frustrating it can be.
I seemed to have trouble getting patches to stick on some tubes until I started using this little Harbor Freight hand grinder to scuff/clean the tubes. It makes patching easy. This little grinder weighs about an ounce and could be useful in other situations as well, tape a few different bits to it. $7 at HF, runs on 12 volts.
Save old tubes, test your patching technique at home, if you've not done it much.
Keep an additional tool kit for remote situations, I don't carry the whole set unless I am riding in remote areas. I only carry the grinder in my remote tool bag.
Good idea!
.... a coupla thoughts
1. Richard should try for a sponsorship as a Pro TT rider.
2. There is dust!
3. There are rocks!
4. Ore Road is a real giggle!
5. KLR's seem to fall down a lot.
6. Folks will make fun of a trials tire on a DS bike. (even if it is a MT43)
7. Wherever you park a TE610 it will draw a crowd.
8. If 6 riders leave from High Sierra at 10AM headed to Presidio at the legally posted speed limit (or somewhere close to it) what time does the train leave Chicago? NO! NO! WAIT! That was a fifth grader question. What will happen is that 3 separate groups will make comments to you the following day about being passed on 170 by those same 6 riders. (what's really funny is that I don't remember passing that many people)
9. Did I mention dust? Rocks?
10. If you haven't ridden off-road in 26 years, it takes a coupla miles to get back 'in the groove'. (if you can stretch reality enough to consider 'in the groove' to mean riding like a 125 novice trying to herd a '68 Honda Scrambler through a national enduro loop)
11. Apparently Husky ships the 610 with 90 weight oil in the front forks. (yeah, I know - everybody knows that one of the first things you do is change it out for 5 wt, but I was in a hurry. And I paid for it dearly)
12. If you haven't ridden in a while, you WILL take some 'interesting' lines, including sorties off into the scrub brush. BUT I NEVER WENT DOWN!
13. The Kiva is 'unique' and the food is 'non-traditional'.
14. The Starlight Theatre has some of the best food inTexas!!
15. I'd marry Kathy in a heart beat and all she would have to do is cook for me. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM... those biscuits and gravy are just like Grandma used to make!
16. Beer on the Porch tastes different than it does on my deck in Corpus.
17. There is WAY too much pavement between Terlingua and the state park roads.
Seriously, my wrists took a beating from that super hard front end, I was slower than molasses in a snow storm, it will take 6 weeks to blow all of the dust out of my sinuses, my body is complaining loudly about trying to act like I was 40 (50?) years younger than I really am, and my ego may never recover from being the one that held up some really good riders - but the only thing I would change is that I would have liked to been able to ride a little more like I did decades ago. And, the bike is still loaded - I would go again today.
Oh yeah, the mileage on a Yukon pulling a trailer on Sunday will drop from 16 to 10.3 for the trip from BB to Corpus. Darned wind!!!!!!
Some pics later.
1. Richard should try for a sponsorship as a Pro TT rider.
2. There is dust!
3. There are rocks!
4. Ore Road is a real giggle!
5. KLR's seem to fall down a lot.
6. Folks will make fun of a trials tire on a DS bike. (even if it is a MT43)
7. Wherever you park a TE610 it will draw a crowd.
8. If 6 riders leave from High Sierra at 10AM headed to Presidio at the legally posted speed limit (or somewhere close to it) what time does the train leave Chicago? NO! NO! WAIT! That was a fifth grader question. What will happen is that 3 separate groups will make comments to you the following day about being passed on 170 by those same 6 riders. (what's really funny is that I don't remember passing that many people)
9. Did I mention dust? Rocks?
10. If you haven't ridden off-road in 26 years, it takes a coupla miles to get back 'in the groove'. (if you can stretch reality enough to consider 'in the groove' to mean riding like a 125 novice trying to herd a '68 Honda Scrambler through a national enduro loop)
11. Apparently Husky ships the 610 with 90 weight oil in the front forks. (yeah, I know - everybody knows that one of the first things you do is change it out for 5 wt, but I was in a hurry. And I paid for it dearly)
12. If you haven't ridden in a while, you WILL take some 'interesting' lines, including sorties off into the scrub brush. BUT I NEVER WENT DOWN!
13. The Kiva is 'unique' and the food is 'non-traditional'.
14. The Starlight Theatre has some of the best food inTexas!!
15. I'd marry Kathy in a heart beat and all she would have to do is cook for me. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM... those biscuits and gravy are just like Grandma used to make!
16. Beer on the Porch tastes different than it does on my deck in Corpus.
17. There is WAY too much pavement between Terlingua and the state park roads.
Seriously, my wrists took a beating from that super hard front end, I was slower than molasses in a snow storm, it will take 6 weeks to blow all of the dust out of my sinuses, my body is complaining loudly about trying to act like I was 40 (50?) years younger than I really am, and my ego may never recover from being the one that held up some really good riders - but the only thing I would change is that I would have liked to been able to ride a little more like I did decades ago. And, the bike is still loaded - I would go again today.
Oh yeah, the mileage on a Yukon pulling a trailer on Sunday will drop from 16 to 10.3 for the trip from BB to Corpus. Darned wind!!!!!!
Some pics later.
JT
Forum Supporter
Re: Old Ore Road
I've had no trouble patching even ultra HD tubes with the grinder.
The grinder takes it down to a clean, rough, surface just right for the patch quickly.
I guarantee you'll wear out your thumb before you can do as good a job with sandpaper as the roll running at 5000rpm.
I've had no trouble patching even ultra HD tubes with the grinder.
The grinder takes it down to a clean, rough, surface just right for the patch quickly.
I guarantee you'll wear out your thumb before you can do as good a job with sandpaper as the roll running at 5000rpm.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
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- 4,465
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- 1,228
- Location
- Buda, TX
- First Name
- Rich
- Last Name
- Gibbens
Exploring The Ranch
On Day 2 my goal today was to ride some new 4 wheel drive, unmaintained roads in Big Bend Ranch State Park, aka The Ranch. I say new roads only because they were only recently opened to the public. They are old roads but we haven't been able to legally ride them. All that changed recently and the park rangers told me we could ride any of the roads that are on the map. Sweet.
Specifically I wanted to explore the far northwest corner of The Ranch, the Casa Piedra area. Park publications termed them the most difficult roads in the entire park. Sounded good to me.
I had to go to Mexico first and clear my vehicle permit from MexTrek back in October. By the time I accomplished that task and we grabbed lunch in Presidio, it was early afternoon, later than I wanted but that's the way it worked out.
We headed north on Casa Piedra road looking for the East Casa Piedra trailhead. The park folks had told me that there wasn't any signage in this area and the roads weren't shown on my GPS, so I knew we would have to navigate carefully to find it.
Here's what it looked like when we did find it. That's it on the left.
Just as expected, it was a nice class 3 road but was overgrown with cactus and other desert plants. I was sure we would be getting numerous flats.
Time was working against us, though. We wanted to get back to Terlingua before dark and I knew if we kept going and got even one flat that we would be challenged to do so. So, about 1.5 miles or so in the group decided to turn back. These roads would have to wait for another day.
The Cienaga Mountains in the distance. The roads here traverse the foothills only, they don't go all the way into the mountains.
On the way back we made a brief side-tour off Hwy 170 to check out the views of the Rio Grande valley from a short 4 wheel drive road. The view was excellent...
...but all the pea gravel made riding difficult. It was so loose that I couldn't imagine riding a big adventure bike on this road.
After that we headed east on the superb Hwy 170, arriving back in Terlingua as the sun slowly set on the horizon.
On Day 2 my goal today was to ride some new 4 wheel drive, unmaintained roads in Big Bend Ranch State Park, aka The Ranch. I say new roads only because they were only recently opened to the public. They are old roads but we haven't been able to legally ride them. All that changed recently and the park rangers told me we could ride any of the roads that are on the map. Sweet.
Specifically I wanted to explore the far northwest corner of The Ranch, the Casa Piedra area. Park publications termed them the most difficult roads in the entire park. Sounded good to me.
I had to go to Mexico first and clear my vehicle permit from MexTrek back in October. By the time I accomplished that task and we grabbed lunch in Presidio, it was early afternoon, later than I wanted but that's the way it worked out.
We headed north on Casa Piedra road looking for the East Casa Piedra trailhead. The park folks had told me that there wasn't any signage in this area and the roads weren't shown on my GPS, so I knew we would have to navigate carefully to find it.
Here's what it looked like when we did find it. That's it on the left.
Just as expected, it was a nice class 3 road but was overgrown with cactus and other desert plants. I was sure we would be getting numerous flats.
Time was working against us, though. We wanted to get back to Terlingua before dark and I knew if we kept going and got even one flat that we would be challenged to do so. So, about 1.5 miles or so in the group decided to turn back. These roads would have to wait for another day.
The Cienaga Mountains in the distance. The roads here traverse the foothills only, they don't go all the way into the mountains.
On the way back we made a brief side-tour off Hwy 170 to check out the views of the Rio Grande valley from a short 4 wheel drive road. The view was excellent...
...but all the pea gravel made riding difficult. It was so loose that I couldn't imagine riding a big adventure bike on this road.
After that we headed east on the superb Hwy 170, arriving back in Terlingua as the sun slowly set on the horizon.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2007
- Messages
- 2,064
- Reaction score
- 550
- Location
- Houston, TX and Phoenix AZ
- First Name
- Peter
- Last Name
- Shaddock
Quick Report: Uncles on a street bike
After being let down my mechanic, voicemail upon my return to Houston: "Mr. Shadman, your DRZ is ready for pickup: Time 2:55 PM, Date Thursday Feb 25th" I decided, reluctantly, to ride my street bike, a CBR 1000.
Along for the ride were Nadeem (solorider) on his KLR
And Kris (krazekris47) on his streetfightered Yammyha R6
We trucked to San Antonio, following Nadeem on his KLR in near freezing conditions. Slept at my brother's in San Antone and headed out Thursday morning for Bandera at 9AM. Went Leakey, Camp Wood, Del Rio, Alpine, Terlingua for 475 miles in 13 hours.
Got seperated from Nadeem near Marathon...it takes time to lay in the grass, stare at the Texas sky, and invent things. So we stopped for Mexcian in Alpine
At 10:30 arrived at Chisos Mining COmpany, cabin 20, yellow, 4 guys, 3 bed.
Bob (Tricepilot) welcomed us with a big smile and usual good humor. He welcomed us with stories of flats, cactus, slime, and trailside repairs. I drifted off....
Woke up to breakfast at Kathy's Kosmic Kooter and a ride meeting. Tea is included with a burrito, FYI. Lots of familiar faces from Galeana. Good to see all you guys again!
Headed off to Presidio, down 67 miles of wonderful HWY 170, with Bob and Kris. OMG, pure two wheeled heaven to a lunch in OJ (Ojinaga Mexico).
White linen lunch on the square, soooo good, $20 US for three of us
Off to Peguis Canyon, 30 miles south. Pace was, well, sorta like MotoGP.
Pequis was cool, with a nice overlook and ride up 10 miles of twisties. Video to follow.
Our Mexico guide, trice
Back across a relatively quick border crossing and a leisurely ride back to Terlingua. Kris beat Bob and I by an hour. That's a nice video as well.
Dinner at Starlight, drinks on the front porch, and more drinks with the cast of the local theater at Kiva, a very cool local bar with a cave.
Friday was the park. 100 miles of concrete, 15 of dirt. Lunch at the visitor center in Chisos was relaxing.
Looking thru the "Window" to the flats below
A few peaks
Rocks of all varieties and sizes
Smooth and bumpy
Mexico, a 400 foot tall solid rock wall. More impenetrable than our border patrol
Sunset thru Santa Elena Canyon
And a dirt road back to the park entrance just for kicks
Then a repeat of the night before...drinks, awesome dinner at the Starlight, drinks and a live band at the Boat House, and a few more at Kiva. Good time for getting to know each other better.
Sunday was 468 miles of riding a streetbike square into 40 MPH headwinds. My least favorite day of riding in a long time. Back in Houston at 1:30 AM. Fun trip, good company, fast riding, no accidents, good food, lots of beer. Perfect!
After being let down my mechanic, voicemail upon my return to Houston: "Mr. Shadman, your DRZ is ready for pickup: Time 2:55 PM, Date Thursday Feb 25th" I decided, reluctantly, to ride my street bike, a CBR 1000.
Along for the ride were Nadeem (solorider) on his KLR
And Kris (krazekris47) on his streetfightered Yammyha R6
We trucked to San Antonio, following Nadeem on his KLR in near freezing conditions. Slept at my brother's in San Antone and headed out Thursday morning for Bandera at 9AM. Went Leakey, Camp Wood, Del Rio, Alpine, Terlingua for 475 miles in 13 hours.
Got seperated from Nadeem near Marathon...it takes time to lay in the grass, stare at the Texas sky, and invent things. So we stopped for Mexcian in Alpine
At 10:30 arrived at Chisos Mining COmpany, cabin 20, yellow, 4 guys, 3 bed.
Bob (Tricepilot) welcomed us with a big smile and usual good humor. He welcomed us with stories of flats, cactus, slime, and trailside repairs. I drifted off....
Woke up to breakfast at Kathy's Kosmic Kooter and a ride meeting. Tea is included with a burrito, FYI. Lots of familiar faces from Galeana. Good to see all you guys again!
Headed off to Presidio, down 67 miles of wonderful HWY 170, with Bob and Kris. OMG, pure two wheeled heaven to a lunch in OJ (Ojinaga Mexico).
White linen lunch on the square, soooo good, $20 US for three of us
Off to Peguis Canyon, 30 miles south. Pace was, well, sorta like MotoGP.
Pequis was cool, with a nice overlook and ride up 10 miles of twisties. Video to follow.
Our Mexico guide, trice
Back across a relatively quick border crossing and a leisurely ride back to Terlingua. Kris beat Bob and I by an hour. That's a nice video as well.
Dinner at Starlight, drinks on the front porch, and more drinks with the cast of the local theater at Kiva, a very cool local bar with a cave.
Friday was the park. 100 miles of concrete, 15 of dirt. Lunch at the visitor center in Chisos was relaxing.
Looking thru the "Window" to the flats below
A few peaks
Rocks of all varieties and sizes
Smooth and bumpy
Mexico, a 400 foot tall solid rock wall. More impenetrable than our border patrol
Sunset thru Santa Elena Canyon
And a dirt road back to the park entrance just for kicks
Then a repeat of the night before...drinks, awesome dinner at the Starlight, drinks and a live band at the Boat House, and a few more at Kiva. Good time for getting to know each other better.
Sunday was 468 miles of riding a streetbike square into 40 MPH headwinds. My least favorite day of riding in a long time. Back in Houston at 1:30 AM. Fun trip, good company, fast riding, no accidents, good food, lots of beer. Perfect!
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2005
- Messages
- 4,465
- Reaction score
- 1,228
- Location
- Buda, TX
- First Name
- Rich
- Last Name
- Gibbens
The Most Difficult Road I've Ever Ridden
It was the last day of riding and we were headed back to do more exploring in The Ranch.
Today's crew consisted of Chuck, Iz, Norbert, and me. All experienced, skilled riders. I was probably the least skilled of the group.
Chuck in "prep mode"
Chuck and his XR650R. The bike was being persnickety today and didn't want to start. Chuck kicked the bike so much today that I told him his right leg muscles were going to end up being twice the size of his left leg muscles.
Norbert...
...and the KLR. He flat-tracks that bike like Kenny Roberts.
Iz is a wild man. He rides that Trans Alp places you wouldn't think it could get through. Like on today's ride.
Today's plan was to explore the far northeast corner of The Ranch. We wanted to ride the newly opened, unmaintained, high clearance 4 wheel drive roads in that part of the park. Specifically we wanted to explore the Los Alamos Loop and McGuirk's Loop.
We were going to ride the main road in to the Jackson Pens, turn north and ride to the Los Alamos residence. From there we would loop east and then south down to Paso al Solitario. Continuing on from there towards Tres Papalotes but taking the cutoff south, then west, to McGuirk's Tanks. That would end the unknown stuff for the day and we would ride the main road back out of the park and Hwy 170 back to Terlingua.
It was an ambitious plan and I knew it wouldn't be easy to get it all done in daylight hours. We got an early start.
One of the challenges I had was that most of the roads aren't shown on my GPS. I run a Zumo with City Navigator and these old-but-newly-opened roads are not on the mapset. So, of course, I got us off course pretty quickly.
I turned on what I though was the Jackson Pens road. It was a great road. Definitely unmaintained. 4 wheel drive. High clearance. There was even a metal sign with "Jackson Pens" on it. But I misread the map and this wasn't the right road. It was the hiking trail west of Jackson Pens road. It was clearly an old road, but not open for riding. Hiking only. My bad.
We stopped on a hill for a map check, water break, and water tank photo op.
This road was superb. I feel bad about riding it now that I know it's not open and will not ride it again, but it was fun at the time.
Later on in the day, I spotted the correct Jackson Pens road and it is a great road too, so ride it when you are in the area and avoid the hiking trail road.
Finding the loop east from the Los Alamos residence proved a bit more challenging than I expected. A group had ridden here the day before and had told me they had not been able to find the loop road to the east. I discussed it with the Ranger on duty at park HQ and she gave me some tips for finding the road. We rode around the property a couple of times till we finally figured out the right way to go.
Looking north at the Los Alamos residence from the actual Jackson Pens Road.
A short distance before you reach the Los Alamos residence on the Jackson Pens road you make a right turn, go through 2 gates, and you will then be on the loop road.
The first of the 2 gates.
This turned out to be the most difficult road I've ever ridden. It definitely hasn't been maintained in the past 100 years. I joked that the last vehicle that came through here was the wagon that made this road 100 years ago. It was very rough and overgrown. And tough to follow. In many places you just couldn't tell exactly where the road went and on more than one occasion we ended up off-route and had to backtrack to find the road.
One of the easier sections of the Los Alamos Loop Road. Easier to ride and easier to follow.
One of the less easier sections. Very rugged and not completely obvious to navigate.
Where the heck is the road? Early on the road went into this gully but we missed where it came out of the gully. The gully got narrower, rockier, and less rideable from this point.
We backtracked the gully and finally figured out where the road was and continued on our way. The difficulty was that at the point where the road existed the gully that the gully looked more like the road than the road itself looked. The road appeared to be a wash-out from a steep hill. Actually, now that I think about it, the road really was a wash-out on the side of a steep hill. Chuck asked me, "Do you think that's the road?" as he looked up the hill. I replied, "That can't be the road and if it is I don't think we can ride up it." "I'm going to need a trials bike to get up that" I thought to myself. But, it was the road, and up it we eventually went.
For the next two hours or so we worked our way slowly south. Unbelievably we didn't get any flats on this road. The road was overgrown with lots of plant life and there was no way to avoid running over it - and every plant in the desert seems to have thorns.
Various shots of the road
The southern end of the road, where it meets the "main" road, is marked with a sign. So, if you decide to run this road, riding it south to north makes it a little easier to find and get started.
We rode down to Tres Papalotes and took a lunch break.
After lunch we rode McGuirk's Loop. It was okay riding, not as rough as the Los Alamos loop, but not unenjoyable. I didn't get a single picture. Sorry.
Once back on the main road, Norbert got a flat, which I thought was kinda odd. We had ridden for hours on cactus infested roads and hadn't gotten a single flat, but a few minutes after getting on a maintained dirt road with no plant life at all on it, Norbert picks up a couple of thorns in his tire. What are the odds?
After a quick repair, it was time to head back to the barn. I got home just as the last rays of the sun were disappearing in the sky, tired, hungry, but pretty happy about the day's riding.
Chuck, what did you think of today's ride?
After an evening of dinner, drinks, and story telling we got up the next morning, loaded the bikes on the trailer and fought a stiff headwind all the way back to Austin.
And next Feb we will do it all again.
It was the last day of riding and we were headed back to do more exploring in The Ranch.
Today's crew consisted of Chuck, Iz, Norbert, and me. All experienced, skilled riders. I was probably the least skilled of the group.
Chuck in "prep mode"
Chuck and his XR650R. The bike was being persnickety today and didn't want to start. Chuck kicked the bike so much today that I told him his right leg muscles were going to end up being twice the size of his left leg muscles.
Norbert...
...and the KLR. He flat-tracks that bike like Kenny Roberts.
Iz is a wild man. He rides that Trans Alp places you wouldn't think it could get through. Like on today's ride.
Today's plan was to explore the far northeast corner of The Ranch. We wanted to ride the newly opened, unmaintained, high clearance 4 wheel drive roads in that part of the park. Specifically we wanted to explore the Los Alamos Loop and McGuirk's Loop.
We were going to ride the main road in to the Jackson Pens, turn north and ride to the Los Alamos residence. From there we would loop east and then south down to Paso al Solitario. Continuing on from there towards Tres Papalotes but taking the cutoff south, then west, to McGuirk's Tanks. That would end the unknown stuff for the day and we would ride the main road back out of the park and Hwy 170 back to Terlingua.
It was an ambitious plan and I knew it wouldn't be easy to get it all done in daylight hours. We got an early start.
One of the challenges I had was that most of the roads aren't shown on my GPS. I run a Zumo with City Navigator and these old-but-newly-opened roads are not on the mapset. So, of course, I got us off course pretty quickly.
I turned on what I though was the Jackson Pens road. It was a great road. Definitely unmaintained. 4 wheel drive. High clearance. There was even a metal sign with "Jackson Pens" on it. But I misread the map and this wasn't the right road. It was the hiking trail west of Jackson Pens road. It was clearly an old road, but not open for riding. Hiking only. My bad.
We stopped on a hill for a map check, water break, and water tank photo op.
This road was superb. I feel bad about riding it now that I know it's not open and will not ride it again, but it was fun at the time.
Later on in the day, I spotted the correct Jackson Pens road and it is a great road too, so ride it when you are in the area and avoid the hiking trail road.
Finding the loop east from the Los Alamos residence proved a bit more challenging than I expected. A group had ridden here the day before and had told me they had not been able to find the loop road to the east. I discussed it with the Ranger on duty at park HQ and she gave me some tips for finding the road. We rode around the property a couple of times till we finally figured out the right way to go.
Looking north at the Los Alamos residence from the actual Jackson Pens Road.
A short distance before you reach the Los Alamos residence on the Jackson Pens road you make a right turn, go through 2 gates, and you will then be on the loop road.
The first of the 2 gates.
This turned out to be the most difficult road I've ever ridden. It definitely hasn't been maintained in the past 100 years. I joked that the last vehicle that came through here was the wagon that made this road 100 years ago. It was very rough and overgrown. And tough to follow. In many places you just couldn't tell exactly where the road went and on more than one occasion we ended up off-route and had to backtrack to find the road.
One of the easier sections of the Los Alamos Loop Road. Easier to ride and easier to follow.
One of the less easier sections. Very rugged and not completely obvious to navigate.
Where the heck is the road? Early on the road went into this gully but we missed where it came out of the gully. The gully got narrower, rockier, and less rideable from this point.
We backtracked the gully and finally figured out where the road was and continued on our way. The difficulty was that at the point where the road existed the gully that the gully looked more like the road than the road itself looked. The road appeared to be a wash-out from a steep hill. Actually, now that I think about it, the road really was a wash-out on the side of a steep hill. Chuck asked me, "Do you think that's the road?" as he looked up the hill. I replied, "That can't be the road and if it is I don't think we can ride up it." "I'm going to need a trials bike to get up that" I thought to myself. But, it was the road, and up it we eventually went.
For the next two hours or so we worked our way slowly south. Unbelievably we didn't get any flats on this road. The road was overgrown with lots of plant life and there was no way to avoid running over it - and every plant in the desert seems to have thorns.
Various shots of the road
The southern end of the road, where it meets the "main" road, is marked with a sign. So, if you decide to run this road, riding it south to north makes it a little easier to find and get started.
We rode down to Tres Papalotes and took a lunch break.
After lunch we rode McGuirk's Loop. It was okay riding, not as rough as the Los Alamos loop, but not unenjoyable. I didn't get a single picture. Sorry.
Once back on the main road, Norbert got a flat, which I thought was kinda odd. We had ridden for hours on cactus infested roads and hadn't gotten a single flat, but a few minutes after getting on a maintained dirt road with no plant life at all on it, Norbert picks up a couple of thorns in his tire. What are the odds?
After a quick repair, it was time to head back to the barn. I got home just as the last rays of the sun were disappearing in the sky, tired, hungry, but pretty happy about the day's riding.
Chuck, what did you think of today's ride?
After an evening of dinner, drinks, and story telling we got up the next morning, loaded the bikes on the trailer and fought a stiff headwind all the way back to Austin.
And next Feb we will do it all again.
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