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The last person to post a picture from their last bike ride wins access to the white courtesy phone.

It was a coal mine, I live in Newcastle Australia.
We've come across some parts of old coal wagons and possibly some sort of vent that looked like a nice little square spa in the middle of the bush. I'm pretty sure there was a decent size opening a few hundred feet from where we ride, there's an oddly flat section that is built up with chitter and it looks like the hill in front of it has been blasted/closed.
Across from where I was riding they used to have a sign on a gate saying not to report smoke to the authorities as it was coming from an underground fire. Where I work was an old mine equipment repair shop, I believe 20m from where we park was the old shaft entry.
A bit much info on this, I'll see if I can find a more basic map some other time-
Which led me to this on the sixty-milers:

 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,754
5,654
Which led me to this on the sixty-milers:

That's pretty cool, I hadn't really read anything about them.

One of the places I ride from time to time has a pretty weird history.
TLDR- A garbage human that was Mayor of Newcastle for a little while ended up owning a big chunk of ex mining land that wasn't really being sold by the owners. There were supposedly fake letters and wax seals used to get it all done, the poor family going against him put in over a million dollars and many years of work to try to get some of the money from the sale.*
*From what I remember, probably not factual coz I don't wanna get sued, haha!
Now old Jeff is up to some more odd shit- https://reneweconomy.com.au/labor-probes-snowy-hydro-gas-plant-land-deal-with-liberal-party-donor/
 
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That's pretty cool, I hadn't really read anything about them.

One of the places I ride from time to time has a pretty weird history.
TLDR- A garbage human that was Mayor of Newcastle for a little while ended up owning a big chunk of ex mining land that wasn't really being sold by the owners. There were supposedly fake letters and wax seals used to get it all done, the poor family going against him put in over a million dollars and many years of work to try to get some of the money from the sale.*
*From what I remember, probably not factual coz I don't wanna get sued, haha!
Now old Jeff is up to some more odd shit- https://reneweconomy.com.au/labor-probes-snowy-hydro-gas-plant-land-deal-with-liberal-party-donor/
Damn.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,524
19,531
Canaderp
A short forced foggy brained hangover ride.

There was ice on the trails, but it had some dirt and stuff on it, so was actually grippy. My brain wasn't firing on all cylinders and had trouble trusting the grip in some corners.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,697
13,051
Cackalacka du Nord
Must have been a small quarry, couldn't find it on topo or photos.
there are two main pits blasted out at the top. neither is all that big/deep. and one more site, i think, blasted out from one of the slopes. i've circled the two top ones. don't think mining went on for that long. you can barely see the depressions here, as the current google earth photo is from summer.
1704641190309.jpeg
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,524
19,531
Canaderp
Got a little snow last night. Pic below is from the same spot as the one above.


Someone out there needs a lesson on how to brake. Every little descent and turn on this trail had this clear locked brake action going on :rofl:


Friggin people in this forest. I need to get horse blinders or something when I ride here...this stuff is never ending.

Here we see people going way around a tree, as the trail proper has a little root on it, which I've highlighted with my finger, otherwise you wouldn't even be able to see the damn thing. This trail has been there for 20 years and has never gone left of that tree.
 

junkyard

You might feel a little prick.
Sep 1, 2015
2,601
2,303
San Diego
FF3B421E-EF9A-4FC4-B13D-274C28F4AE94.jpeg

this is looking back up the trail. I’m down in SD this week and they took away my parking for “scary house” so I went and rode “ten dollar fatty” and “air time”. Though there is more air time on TDF and air time was more smoke my brakes time.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,754
5,654
Where I am it seems so much quieter in the bush than in 2020-21, at the start of covid anything that looked like a bike trail became a bike trail.
Hardly see anyone out now, which I'm fine with but I just have to move more sticks coz nobody else is doing it.
IMG_20240113_232655.jpg
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,524
19,531
Canaderp
@konifere have you ridden your kirkland signature brand bike yet?

I've got two very short, slow as balls, rides on mine. Seems great so far. Today I felt what might have been the bars flexing...but it might have also been the thiccccc foam grips squishing?

The Microshift stuff shifts well too. I do miss being able to push the upshift lever with my thumb though, like with Shimano. And for this stupid slow trudge crap, I wish there was one more lower gear (but that's on me, I'm a weak ass pedaler).
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,887
7,424
SADL
@konifere have you ridden your kirkland signature brand bike yet?

I've got two very short, slow as balls, rides on mine. Seems great so far. Today I felt what might have been the bars flexing...but it might have also been the thiccccc foam grips squishing?

The Microshift stuff shifts well too. I do miss being able to push the upshift lever with my thumb though, like with Shimano. And for this stupid slow trudge crap, I wish there was one more lower gear (but that's on me, I'm a weak ass pedaler).
What's your front gearing?
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,524
19,531
Canaderp
What's your front gearing?
I counted 30 teeth on the trail today, but their website says it comes with a 28t ring.

Apparently 10-46 in the rear. Looks smaller though than my 11-46 Shimano cassette.

I just need to man up. And more people need to ride so we're not breaking trail every time.
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,887
7,424
SADL
I counted 30 teeth on the trail today, but their website says it comes with a 28t ring.

Apparently 10-46 in the rear. Looks smaller though than my 11-46 Shimano cassette.

I just need to man up. And more people need to ride so we're not breaking trail every time.
I went silly 26t, no regerts.
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
532
661
@canadmos Hey! I did not try it yet, just finished rebuilding it last night and we received like another foot of snow today. I did a few upgrades : Saint BB (just to get more threads into the frame), E13 base pedals, 150mm TranzX dropper (bought on sale for 70$) and Wolf Tooth LA remote, Chromag grips, a WTB Deva saddle from my parts bin, shitty Shimano BR-M375 mechanical brakes that took me a lot of fiddling to get right (didn't want the Sram Level so I sold my previous fat bike with them), and a blue Deity seat post collar just for kicks.

I also bought a Race Face Ride 190mm axle crankset on sale for when the Charm breaks :D
I'm thinking of swapping the bar/stem for a higher rise that I have here, but my old Lezyne light mounts don't fit on 35mm bars, so I might just leave those on. I did not count the tooth on my crankset though, I thought it was 28t. Will check.

What are your impressions so far? How do those tires work in loose snow like you were riding on that picture?

Here's mine, which came with a 11-46t cassette and just counted 28t on my chainring. I had a 12-46 cassette and 30t ring on my previous fat bike, but with those bigger 27.5 wheels, I guess it will be pretty much even. It's crazy how big the 27.5x4.5 are compared to the 26x4.0 (3.8 really) I had.
2024-LG-GL3_.jpg
 
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konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
532
661
@Jozz How do you like the Mastodon ? Which version is it? I'm thinking about getting a V2 100mm for the Garneau, but that wouldn't really be needed...
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,999
9,660
AK
@canadmos Hey! I did not try it yet, just finished rebuilding it last night and we received like another foot of snow today. I did a few upgrades : Saint BB (just to get more threads into the frame), E13 base pedals, 150mm TranzX dropper (bought on sale for 70$) and Wolf Tooth LA remote, Chromag grips, a WTB Deva saddle from my parts bin, shitty Shimano BR-M375 mechanical brakes that took me a lot of fiddling to get right (didn't want the Sram Level so I sold my previous fat bike with them), and a blue Deity seat post collar just for kicks.

I also bought a Race Face Ride 190mm axle crankset on sale for when the Charm breaks :D
I'm thinking of swapping the bar/stem for a higher rise that I have here, but my old Lezyne light mounts don't fit on 35mm bars, so I might just leave those on. I did not count the tooth on my crankset though, I thought it was 28t. Will check.

What are your impressions so far? How do those tires work in loose snow like you were riding on that picture?

Here's mine, which came with a 11-46t cassette and just counted 28t on my chainring. I had a 12-46 cassette and 30t ring on my previous fat bike, but with those bigger 27.5 wheels, I guess it will be pretty much even. It's crazy how big the 27.5x4.5 are compared to the 26x4.0 (3.8 really) I had.
View attachment 206326
The CE4.5 are insane. I'm running them on 95mm rims. Like that, they are wider than the Johnny5 tires and of course way taller. IMO, it's the "biggest" tire you can get, since I've got gobs of air volume. I can ride some pretty silly stuff, like the trail we just snowshoed yesterday, usually takes a lot more compacting and waiting.
382004936_10102880247039038_8171938809167873529_n.jpg
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,999
9,660
AK
@Jozz How do you like the Mastodon ? Which version is it? I'm thinking about getting a V2 100mm for the Garneau, but that wouldn't really be needed...
I wonder if in 10 years people will think we were stupid for riding rigid fatbikes vs. suspension. I know Kidwoo will, but I mean other people.
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
532
661
I thought I'd keep it rigid and as simple as possible, so I'll try to stick with this, but if I want to ride it in the summer for fun, I'd probably save the fork's price in chiropractor fees.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,982
13,234
I've had a Bluto on my Wozo since I got it in 2018, probably wouldn't bother me to be on a rigid in the winter. I ride one of my bikes rigid SS in the summer :p
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,524
19,531
Canaderp
@canadmos Hey! I did not try it yet, just finished rebuilding it last night and we received like another foot of snow today. I did a few upgrades : Saint BB (just to get more threads into the frame), E13 base pedals, 150mm TranzX dropper (bought on sale for 70$) and Wolf Tooth LA remote, Chromag grips, a WTB Deva saddle from my parts bin, shitty Shimano BR-M375 mechanical brakes that took me a lot of fiddling to get right (didn't want the Sram Level so I sold my previous fat bike with them), and a blue Deity seat post collar just for kicks.

I also bought a Race Face Ride 190mm axle crankset on sale for when the Charm breaks :D
I'm thinking of swapping the bar/stem for a higher rise that I have here, but my old Lezyne light mounts don't fit on 35mm bars, so I might just leave those on. I did not count the tooth on my crankset though, I thought it was 28t. Will check.

What are your impressions so far? How do those tires work in loose snow like you were riding on that picture?

Here's mine, which came with a 11-46t cassette and just counted 28t on my chainring. I had a 12-46 cassette and 30t ring on my previous fat bike, but with those bigger 27.5 wheels, I guess it will be pretty much even. It's crazy how big the 27.5x4.5 are compared to the 26x4.0 (3.8 really) I had.
View attachment 206326
Damn you went deep :busted:

It was super tough snow today, but the tires seem to do alright. I was definitely the weak link...and the deep snow on the climbs. I put studs in them, so that'll be interesting to try out.

The Level brakes are a little agricultural but actually worked better than the Shimanos I have on the old fatbike. We'll see how they are on bigger hills..
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,982
13,234
The Level brakes are a little agricultural but actually worked better than the Shimanos I have on the old fatbike. We'll see how they are on bigger hills..
If they're the low end level T's, mine lasted about two rides.