• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Cloudcrofting 5Hundys

Forums New posts
We enjoyed the next morning, 52 degrees, camped at 9600 feet. Ha ha, yall were cooking back home in Texas. It was kind of nice to not have big miles and a really long day planned for a change. Cooked our breakfast and enjoyed our caffeine of choice while we piddled about camp in the pines. Happy to start the day and get our ride on. I made Rob use my camera to take a pic….just to prove I was here. He is not much on picture taking.

1624298403468.png


Plan was to hit up some single track on the Rim Trail. We got on it for a bit and then on one of my check backs, I didn’t see my wing man. I roll back and find Rob standing on the trail, his bike not on the trail. I start laughing at the predicament and then realized he wasn’t acting normal. He took a pretty good hit, I only got one pic of the scene. Had to make sure he was ok, said he saw stars when he hit the ground. Got him situated, helmet off, resting, hydrating and then I recovered the bike. Would have been tough to get the bike back up on the trail, pics never do justice. I just dragged it down the mountain some more and eventually found a sneaker way back up to the trail.

1624298430156.png


He wanted me to continue on the single track and leave him to go back to camp. No way, not happening. I get that feeling of not wanting to derail the other guy’s ride, but we came to have fun together and I am not leaving my wing man, especially when he had just hit the ground pretty hard. After he seemed rested and acting cool, we backtracked out of the single track and regrouped at camp.

1624298468576.png


Made sure he was ok and came up with plan B, decided to take Karr Canyon north so we could then take Westside Rd south for some easier times.

1624298480010.png


1624298491847.png


I couldn’t help myself though, we took a couple side trips just to make things interesting, turned around a couple times when it was going to obviously get too interesting.

1624298501965.png


1624298510941.png


I’m a classic rock classic country kind of guy. Yet some newer music still grabs me now and then. Cruising along, in the zone out here, and feeling very Alive….listening to that Sia song in my helmet, hope nobody can hear me singing. Took another side trip to try and find a lunch spot. Settled on this little canyon looking down on the Alamogordo Valley, you can see some of the White Sands.

1624298525386.png


1624298533832.png


I asked Rob to give me a big smile for once…..this was as good as I could get. Apparently that is his super happy face. Looks like Bruce Willis stepping on some glass barefooted.

1624298542233.png


Other than the biff head slap, the day had been going pretty good. I think Rob was getting some confidence and finding his sea legs a bit in the ocean of rocks.

1624298554150.png


But arr matey, that dang single track was still calling me. I wanted to feel it out down towards the south end if Rob was feeling up for it. We stuck our toe in the water and did a little, decided to back out, pretty good hill climb made me stop the show, along with some exposure, loose rocks. Rob probably needs some more seat time dealing with baby heads and roots plus better gearing wouldn't hurt. Got to listen to your little voice when you are leading folks into the breach. I’ve been beating my stupid self up for years on stuff like this and was rocking 13/50 gearing. Had some good meat, IRC Volcanduro VE33S Gummy, that’s a mouth full. New front tire, Shinko 546, that’s easier.

1624298566634.png


1624298576029.png


West Side Story was over, we started making our way back north on various fire roads, two tracks, 50 inchers, canyons……Scot Able, Agua Chiquita Banana, One Eyed Willy, Willis, Arnold, Apple something etc. I enjoyed a lot of that stuff. But Side by Sides are taking a toll out here. A good bit of it is like going to the gym. You feel good after it is over.

1624298587834.png


Went up some little draws, that made me think of Uno Draw 4….that made me think of something about a varmint. I know……it is all so disturbing how my brain works. And I’ve never even done acid.

1624298601334.png


1624298621945.png


Can’t complain, that was a good dadgum day. Now repeat…….fire, meat, cold ones, tunes, rest, cold ones.

1624298637532.png


1624298646278.png


I played alone, I played on my own, I survived. I’m still breathing. I’m Alive. Night Night you varmints.

1624298652999.png
 

Attachments

  • 1624298460072.png
    1624298460072.png
    1.1 MB · Views: 139
Head hits are no laughing matter. Glad he was okay! The Rim Trail is tough for someone without much experience in that kind of riding. It was my first real exposure to single track... ever... I was on my 530 EXC, but at least I had the lower gearing, which makes a BIG difference. The South end was insane when we went through there. I am talking about the last 3 miles on the other side of the road that crosses down there. We should have bailed at the road but wanted to do the whole trail. The last 3 miles took more energy than the first 27 combined! It is such a beautiful area with great riding for big and small adventure bikes!
 
I thought The Rim Trail ( the 6-7 miles I rode ) was tougher than Black Bear pass. (Ouray)
My hats off to you guys👍👍
 
Tourmeister said:
Head hits are no laughing matter. Glad he was okay! The Rim Trail is tough for someone without much experience in that kind of riding. It was my first real exposure to single track... ever... I was on my 530 EXC, but at least I had the lower gearing, which makes a BIG difference. The South end was insane when we went through there. I am talking about the last 3 miles on the other side of the road that crosses down there. We should have bailed at the road but wanted to do the whole trail. The last 3 miles took more energy than the first 27 combined! It is such a beautiful area with great riding for big and small adventure bikes!
Click to expand...
Glad we backtracked on the last 3 miles, that wouldn't have gone well I don't think. It was pretty hot "down" there as well, couple thousand feet lower than our camp spot. Situational awareness is key.
 
KsTeveM said:
Glad we backtracked on the last 3 miles, that wouldn't have gone well I don't think. It was pretty hot "down" there as well, couple thousand feet lower than our camp spot. Situational awareness is key.
Click to expand...

I was feeling pretty good when we reached the start of that last three miles. Barely half way into it, I was almost wiped out physically. It got very technical with some nasty steep and loose climbs where any stopping once you started up was a disaster. We stopped to rest so many times that my battery finally died from all the cranking but not running long enough between breaks to keep it charged. I did not have the strength to kick start it. Fortunately, I was at the top of the last descent when that happened and was able to just coast it down the rest of the way. When we reached the highway and got off the bikes, my hands were shaking uncontrollably. We just laid down for a bit and caught our breath before heading back to town. It was all we could do after that to go get dinner and lift the BBQ to my face it eat it :lol2: I was definitely more whooped from that little three mile stretch than from anything else we'd ridden out there and even more than doing Black Bear Pass in Colorado. The only thing worse for me was some stuff we did out in the Gila Desert in Arizona when it got HOT and we got a bit lost...
 
Dang brother, sounds like a humdinger. I’m intrigued and scared 😊. Thanks for sharing, good to know if I ever venture into it, I need to be fresh, not 27 miles of the Rim depleted.
 
The suspense is killing me…:-?

So which gearing ended up being better 14/45 with sprocket to hub bolts or 13/50 without sprocket to hub bolts?:haha:

You got this story all built up with that pic and no scoop on how it came to be.:coffee: That’s the mark of good story telling. You dangle the bait, hook us and keep us coming back for more. I’m here for the long haul so keep it coming.
 
After an incredible evening of listening to my play list, we got into our last day of riding. It was a bit of a wild card, I just adlibbed out there. Mixed stuff, I think Lucas Canyon, Russian Canyon, Willis Canyon and little stuff in between. Another pic of me, I promise I was there.

1624450118053.png


1624450127611.png


1624450135995.png


1624450143514.png


Had a crossroads, take pavement back to camp pretty quickly, or one more trail. Glad I picked the one more trail….about a mile in my rear locked up and I was sliding squirrely in the dirt to a stop, that was fun. All but one sprocket bolt were no more, that was funner. Bottom line, needed bolts, had some at camp….actually had an entire wheel ready to go, sprocket, tire etc. Thought about various options but towing seemed best at the moment…..had second thoughts in the heat of it, but we got it done. We leaned the bike over, got the axle pulled and removed the sprocket, zipped tied the chain to the swing arm, put the sprocket in my backpack and strapped the bike back. Put the loop over his peg, but just wrapped it on my peg in case we needed to separate. Dirt, then pavement, then dirt. During this trip we have been in some really remote sections of trail that could have really sucked. I’m lucky?

1624450156277.png


1624450170032.png


1624450179646.png


1624450187459.png


1624450194506.png


We were pretty wiped out at this point, decided to throw in the towel, pack up camp, load bikes and roll on down the mountain to make our drive home the next day easier. We made it to Artesia about 5pm, got a cheap motel and some pizza. I will say this about the sprocket, I torqued it when I put it on several hundred miles ago but I didn’t Loctite it like recommended, never has been my habit on rear sprockets. I will be from now on….and carry a couple extra sprocket bolts!!! Felt naked out there.

1624450213051.png
 
JMZ said:
Steve is a great rider and leader BUT his choice of music SUCKS !
Click to expand...
I can't let this go, feel the need to clarify. I don't like pantera, metalica, anthrax, slayer. Just killed JMZ's entire repertoire. You guys do know he has heavy metal in his brain right? Actually I think they used lead when they put humpty dumpty back together again, would explain a lot.

1624457319767.png
 
Last edited:
That was great. I'm going to gear down my 500 EXC. I've never been on single track, and I haven't got much time!
 
Eulogite said:
That was great. I'm going to gear down my 500 EXC. I've never been on single track, and I haven't got much time!
Click to expand...
Thanks brother! If you go to Cloudcroft, try to ride it during the week. Thursday was sweet. Friday started getting a little more quads and side by sides in the afternoon, Saturday was full on stud muffins cruising around with neon lights, speakers and beers in hand.

And I don't recommend 13/0 gearing. Have Fun!!

1624462377627.png
 
As always... Great report. Just missing the sweet gopro view of someone wrecking that your out of state reports usually are graced with.

We always have September.
 
KTMCarhart said:
As always... Great report. Just missing the sweet gopro view of someone wrecking that your out of state reports usually are graced with.

We always have September.
Click to expand...
There is certainly a je ne sais quoi quality about the normal actor in those out state trips that was missing from this ride. Get your feces collected.

1624470415212.png
 
KsTeveM said:
I can't let this go, feel the need to clarify. I don't like pantera, metalica, anthrax, slayer. Just killed JMZ's entire repertoire. You guys do know he has heavy metal in his brain right? Actually I think they used lead when they put humpty dumpty back together again, would explain a lot.

View attachment 295856
Click to expand...
One out of four ain't bad , Metallica.
 
You would think the drama was over right? We were on the home stretch driving home, I glance in my mirrors for the thousandth time like one does when pulling a trailer on a trip….smoke coming from driver’s side trailer tire area. I felt nothing but it was obvious something was going bad wrong. Tire….hopefully. Nope, bearings. I had a receipt from the previous owner that it was all repacked “professionally” 18 months ago and it has been mostly sitting at my house the last year. Regardless, it was definitely ruined, there was no fixing this with what I had….after hours on a Sunday as well. I didn’t want to leave it on the side of hwy 71. I jogged a couple hundred yards back to an old abandoned farm house, gate wasn’t locked, score. Went back to the truck and pulled it in and left it there and put a note on the old house. So glad it held together enough to get it parked. I was feeling lucky again, it could have completely let go and dragged the axle on the ground, wheel could have hurt someone else, and/or this could have all happened hundreds and hundreds of miles from home. Llano/90 miles from home isn’t so bad. Still sucks, but have to find the good in it. What else you going to do that’s helpful? I think that is part of a successful adventure, keeping your attitude right and work the problem. I didn’t take pics of the wheel looking like a volkswagon, smoking on the side of the road, I was deep into triaging. Below was the trailer’s temp home. Little awkward to trespass, but I did it anyway, my options weren’t plentiful.

1624537238516.png


I did call the sheriff’s office and told them what I did. They seemed surprised I left it on private property. I told them it was for safety, even though it was mostly me worried about my stuff. Got the parts and went back yesterday and it was still there untouched. When I jacked the trailer up, the tire/wheel/hub just fell on the ground all by itself. So lucky it didn’t come off going down the road. Had some trouble beating the outside race off, but got it done. I also double checked the other side. It was full of grease and looked beautiful. I don’t know if this was a case of the low man grunt at the trailer place skipping a side completely or just a chinese bearing failure? Doesn’t really matter now, I put a new backing plate, seal, bearings, hub, nut and cotter pin. Should be good for a while. I’m not going to carry an extra hub, probably going too far. But I did buy an extra set of bearings/races and a seal to carry as spares, they don’t take up much room. I guess it’s the dual sporter coming out in me. And my 22’ trailer fixin to get a good look, not just buddy bearing zert hit with grease.

1624537262082.png


1624537278827.png


1624537288551.png


This trip had plenty of ups and downs, but it was an experience, I learned me some stuff and we survived. My riding will come to a halt for the most part for the heat of the Texas summer….and bike maintenance going down. I will re-emerge for more yarn spinning in September for my big ride of the year. Pro Tips, Loctite your rear sprocket and double check your trailer bearings? Smell ya later!!

1624537297519.png
 
Check that sides brake adjustment. A little dragging brake shoe causes heat...lube failure...bearing disaster. Darn good thing you caught it before tragedy.
 
I pass that house a lot. You picked a good spot. It's a deer camp so no ones usually there except during deer season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top