Local Rides: Luther Forest / NYSERDA STEP Trails

Was up at 6:30am with the dog because his bladder is the size of a bottle cap and he had to go. I had every intention of going mountain biking this weekend so I figured if I am already awake I probably should get out and ride before the day gets any older. Also, it wasn't going to get any cooler. I decided on going up to Malta because it drains well and Central Park is still wet from all the rain, Colonie and Lock 7 are probably in the same condition, I don't know the trails as well as I would like at Thatcher and same goes for Schodack. I was parked at the trail head and riding by 7:45am, awesome. I know the trails in Malta pretty well and also rode a couple of new ones...well new to me anyway. Definitely a good choice, even with all the rain the trails are in great shape. The surface was fairly tacky which was good for traction although there are several areas that are really sandy which made some of the hard corners precarious. I took the big bike today, seems I haven't trail ridden it in months and it showed. I am just so used to riding the SS that I had to take some time to acclimate. I was flying over logs and bombing down hills in no time. As much work as it is getting uphill, it definitely rewards on jumps and when the trail points down. I rode for about two hours and now I feel great! Wish I always had time to get up early and ride. Glad my wife was okay with staying with the kids too. Guess it's always give and take when you have a family.

 

Local Ride: Luther Forest Trails, Malta, NY

These trails actually begin in the state's Saratoga Technology and Energy Park, but they extend onto the Luther Forest property. I just always called it Luther Forest. Another great day to ride today. Temps were perfect, not too cold and not too warm. There were some areas that were soft and wet but for the most part it was hard and fast. The only thing that kept my speed in check were the leaves in the corners...well that and my fitness level.

I haven't ridden here since summertime last year. There have been a few changes, some new sections of trail and some new technical features. Since I don't ride here often I wasn't quite sure what the preferred route should be. Luckily I had a map, made by one of the trails frequent riders, to help me keep my bearings.

Except for one or two ridiculous but not impossible climbs, this place is perfect for a singlespeed bike. Lots of flow and not terribly technical so you can keep up your momentum. I am glad I brought the singlespeed. One, because of the fitness benefit to me and two, I wanted to see how the tires would fare on these trails. These trails are similar to the ones in Schenectady Central Park but there is more elevation gain and less rocks and roots. Overall I think they performed well, although they take some skill to get the most of them. Traction, braking and grip were all very good but rolling resistance and weight of the 2 ply casing were a negative. One area where they excelled was on fast descents, which of course I am not surprised because it was what they were designed for. I felt much more confident bombing hills with the Maxxis Wetscreams than with the Kenda Nevegals. Not sure why, maybe the heavier tires make the bike more sure-footed or maybe the 2 ply casing sucks up the bumps better. Whatever the reason, I love going downhill fast and these tires allowed me to do so.

I've also been playing with the air pressure in the fork. Not sure if I should lower the pressure but I didn't want to blow it out because of the cold weather. I'll have to look into this a bit more because setting the fork air pressure to 130 PSI for both positive and negative chambers was giving me too much sag. I had it at 150 PSI initially so maybe I'll try 140 PSI and see how that goes. Oh and I am still loving the pedals.

I have been sick with a cold since December 30th so my new year hasn't been great so far. Still, I cannot complain with all the good weather we've been having. Even though I probably should not have been riding, I went anyway because who knows how many more days we are going to get like today? Now, I am not going to gloat and continually beat a drum about how great the weather is because I know there are a lot of people waiting to ski and snowboard. But I am going to enjoy a nice day and take the opportunity to ride if it presents itself, which it did. Really for me there is almost nothing as relaxing and enjoyable as a mid afternoon ride on a warm winter's day with the sun peaking through the trees.

Local Rides: Luther Forest STEP Trails

Had a awesome but difficult ride in Luther Forest tonight. It was sooo humid, I never ride worth a damn in those conditions. I don't know the trails that well so it was a bit of back tracking in some sections but they're pretty easy to navigate. Quite a bit of elevation gain back there and some really fast flowy sections. Some rocks and roots as well as some bridge sections. Lots of singletrack and the sections riding along deep gullies were the most exciting. Some hardpack as well as soft loamy sections so the Big Earls I have on my Rocky seem to be perfect. The Nevegals on my SS also worked well back there. Riding here is definitely a good way to lose weight and build fitness. These trails are located off Hermes Rd. in the Saratoga Technology and Energy Park (http://step.nyserda.org/) in Malta, NY.