Local Ride: Albany Pine Bush, Water Tower Trails

Can't really see it but it was snowing a bit...I love riding while it snows.

Got out for an extended ride (~2 hours) at the Pinebush today. I was not sure how the trails would be but I knew there would be no need for studs so I took them off and replaced them with a pair of 26 x 2.5 Kenda Kinetics. These are very light for their size and are the Stick-E compound. I knew it was going to be slick back there and I wanted a tire with a rounded profile and a more aggressive shoulder tread. These tires, at the proper pressure, have a nice slow rebound effect, have tremendous traction, and because they are light makes for less rotational mass. This was clearly evident during climbing and I was able to make it up several hills I was not able to make it up last ride.

Trail conditions...muddy. These tires are much better in dry conditions. They have a tendency to slide off wet roots but are decent on wet rocks. They also pack up with mud unless you keep riding at a good clip. Even though they are light tires, it takes effort to keep up your speed. Probably due to the Stick-E compound and the aggressive tread. These are definitely coming off until everything dries up. I've got some other tires I wanted to try out anyway. All in all it was a good ride.

Quiet and peaceful

Fun singletrack

At the top of a big hill...one of my favorite places to be.