Greensfelder Workday - Sat. April 5th, 9 a.m.

Ok, let's try this again. After being cancelled last week, we're going to try again with another workday at Greensfelder. At this point, the weather looks much better.

The current plan is to try to complete most of the trail that's already been worked on since last Spring. With a large enough turnout, we'll be able to do this and begin working on the next phase of the extension, which will eventually make a loop back to the Roundhouse parking lot.

We'll meet at 9 a.m. at the Radio Tower Parking lot off of Allenton Rd. Weather permitting, we'll ride afteward, and as usual, there will be a meal and schwag provided.

Cancelled -Greensfelder Workday - Sat. March 22nd, 9 a.m.

Due to the precipitation that Mother Nature has dropped on us recently, and the fact that I-44 may not be passable tomorrow, St. Louis County Parks has cancelled the workday.

If you've ridden the section of the new DeClue extension that was built last Spring and Fall, you probably noticed that it wasn't quite ready for prime time. This workday aims to address some unfinished business, and hopefully will allow for the completion of the A & B sections of this extension. If that happens, you will be able to ride the trail out, follow a small lollipop and then retrace your way back up to the old DeClue. This will be slightly better than the current out-and-back, plus the trail should be completely rideable.

After this, work will continue on the extension which will cross the Scenic Loop road and eventually connect back to the Roundhouse parking lot. There's lots of work to be done on this, and it's going to take some time, so come on out and help! We'll be meeting at the radio tower parking lot off of Allenton Rd. at 9 a.m.

A strategy for the future.

To satisfy a wicked fishing jones, I found myself paying to fish a privately owned spring creek on a weekday at the end of a crappy February. I might have been soured by the intermittent freezing rain or still harboring resentment from the distasteful experience of trying to find true "public" salmonid fishing in the UK, but either way I was pretty cold and getting crabby. I spent quite a bit of time sliding around in the deep mud with my felt-soled boots as more unwelcome precipitation continued to drown the prospects of getting to ride my mountain bike anytime soon. I sat (sank) streamside, tied on a new fly, and kicked around a decidedly jaded idea of mine that frequently rears its head when I'm in a foul mood...

One of the first synonyms of the word "mining" is the word "excavation". "Excavation" is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in an earth surface formed by earth removal. So, as trailbuilders, it seems that GORCsters do quite a bit of "mining" when given the opportunity, right? Those opportunities have created some sweet riding and earned GORC accolades with land managers and land users. Stick with me now, I'm fin'na drop some convoluted logic...

Even with a good reputation, access is the ubiquitous issue for our particular user group. So, let's play some dirty pool and steal a trick from the playbook of the mining industry. Let's just grab some land and do some "mining" of our own. I'm not sure what kind of liquid cash our treasurer has kicking around in the GORC coffers, but utilizing the 1872 General Mining Law (still in place) it seems that we can stake a claim to federal lands at, get this, $2.50 an acre. According to the USDA FS rules, "non-competitive" sales can be made to governmental agencies and non-profit groups (that's us, right?). Apparently, the number of claims we can hold is unlimited and the duration of the claim is indefinite. Hmmm... the MTNF alone is 1.5 million acres, I'm sure we could find something we like for a couple hundred bucks.

Okay, here's the curmudgeonly part that you've been anticipating... not that we'd ever consider doing this, but, following the mining industry's track record, not only can we purchase our federal land at 1872 prices, but we can apparently completely freaking trash it, then declare bankruptcy, and leave it for our fellow taxpayers to clean up... then, we can just start a new club and do the same thing again someplace else.

Obviously, I'm sure there's some prohibition buried in some legalese out there to prevent people who might be good stewards of the land from selfishly snatching up public lands and responsibly providing recreational opportunities for the public (on their own land) ... but no such prohibition exists for some jerkweed mining corporation to come in and screw everything up, take their money and run, and leave the mess for us.

It seems that access and usage of public land are only a "privilege" for some of us, and a "right" for those whose intention is exploitation.

I wonder if REI will let me redeem my dividend check for some acreage?

Monthly Meeting Wednesday, March 5th

Separated at Birth?

7 pm at the Schlafly Tap Room. See you there.

One Trail, Two Days

Ah Winter, one day it's 73 degrees, the next it's 15. Don't you love it? This little story concerns the SIUE trails, but could just as easily be about any of the other trails in our area.

Day 1. Two weeks ago, a group was out reviewing the location of the proposed new trail at SIUE. It had been very cold for the previous week without any precipitation and the ground was thoroughly frozen. The temperature was around freezing when we started, but the forecast was for temps in the upper 50's that day. Now, several of these people in attendance were some of the most experienced trailbuilders in GORC (I'm not including myself here). Not one brought their mountain bike, thinking that with such warm temperatures, the trails would be thawed by afternoon. Well, to everyone's surprise, by the time we were done, even though it was in the 50's, the trails were firm and dry, perfect riding conditions...

Fast forward to Day 2. Yesterday, Kirby and I headed out to SIUE in the early afternoon. Temperature was 19. To our surprise the top layer of soil was a gooey mess. Apparently, with there being so much moisture in the soil from the recent rains, the ground was completely saturated, and the strong sunlight was enough to melt away the top layer even at that temperature. Also, it had only been below freezing for one night. We walked down the trail a bit and could see where someone who was riding had been sliding across the surface at every curve and riding off the trail to avoid muddy spots.

So, what's the moral of this story? Well, it's that even if you think you understand how trails react to certain weather conditions, in Winter, all bets are off. Here in MO/SW IL we're lucky to be able to do some riding year round. Just be aware that in Winter and early Spring, there are more things to consider before you decide to go out and ride. Sure, it may not be a big deal to leave a few tracks on a trail, but when you multiply that by hundreds, or thousands, it's easy to see how real damage can be done.

It's not GORC's place to tell you when you can or can't ride, only the land manager of a particular trail can do that, but you can use your head and the info that's provided on our website to make decisions that will minimize the impact you have on the trails. We'd all much rather be building new trail, instead of having to fix damage to what's already there.

Happy Trails.

First Aid

TRAILSIDE INJURY MAINTENANCE

Mountain biking is an exciting sport. It is both thrilling and exciting. It can also have some bumps, and bruises. This article is going to give you some tips on what to carry on your person or your pack that will help you make it back to your car.

· An anti-inflammatory or Tylenol
· Triangle bandage or bandanna
· Antiseptic hand wipes
· Large and small band-aids
· Gauze pads or 4x4
· Large non-stick pads
· Self adhering elastic wrap (Coban)
· Ziploc bag

All of these items can be placed in the Ziploc bag for quick visualization of the items that you need. You can get fancy and carry Neosporin with you, butterfly closures, benzoin to get stuff to stick, etc. But the list above is a bare essentials list. Coban is nice to have because it does stick to itself and you don’t have to worry about being too sweaty for tape.
The first on the list is a must have! If you fall down, hit a tree, or are just going really hard, it is nice to have a pain reliever on hand to be taken at a moments notice. An NSAID such as Ibuprofen helps reduce swelling incase of injury as well as a mild – moderate pain reliever. Never exceed 2400mg of Ibuprofen in a 24 hour period of time. Tylenol is known for fever reducing as well as mild to moderate pain reliever, but not known so much as a swelling reducer. Never take more than 4000mg of Tylenol in a 24 hour period of time. Also, a well known fact about Tylenol is that it should never be taken with alcohol.
The triangle bandage or bandanna has many uses. The major use is to immobilize a suspected fracture. If you fall on the trail and you suspect that you have broken a collar bone, the bandage can be tied around the neck, with the sling part on the effected side to carry that arm in. This is done to keep from placing strain on the fractured collar bone. In the case of a fractured limb, the limb will swell almost immediately; there may/may not be obvious deformity, continued severe pain, possible numbness below sight of injury. ICE is the acronym for the immediate care of a fracture. Immobilize, cool, and elevate. On the trail you can use the bandage and a strong stick or bike pump to wrap the limb and immobilize it. Then go to the doctor! Another use for the bandage is to help with the covering of wounds, cleaning, etc.
Antiseptic hand wipes are used to clean your hands before working on your wounds. They can be used to clean wounds as well.
Large and small band-aids are used of course to cover your wounds, after you clean them. Or just to cover them until you get to the car or house to thoroughly clean the wound.
Gauze pads can be used to aid in cleaning the wound, or cover the wound. Covering the wound with gauze can be tricky because it tends to stick to wounds. If this happens, use some warm water to soak the gauze to help remove it.
The large non-stick pads are awesome. They are the gold standard in wound coverage. You can impregnate them with Neosporin and plop right on top of your well cleaned cut or scrape. These can be cut to size.
Coban is used to wrap over the non-stick pad. This works better than tape in the sense that it does not stick to your skin. This wrap can also be reused if not a bloody mess.
This is a small kit that can be easily carried on the trail with you. It can fit in a jersey pocket or in your camelback. It should be seen as essential as your spare tubes. In closing, if there is any doubt in caring for a wound yourself, seek help!

This Is Not a Picture of Dug Having His Picture Taken at the Tour of Missouri...

It's a reminder that this month's regular meeting is at the Schlafly Tap Room at 7 pm on Wed. February 6 in the Eliot Room.

St. Charles County Parks Guided Rides - 2008

Once again, the great partnership between GORC and St. Charles County Parks leads to some great biking opportunities. There are now over 30 miles of trails open to mountain bikes, many of which GORC helped to build, spread throughout 6 different SCCP Parks. Everyone has to learn how to ride somewhere, so GORC will lead beginner rides to help introduce new people to the sport. Hot off the press:

For the third straight year, Saint Charles County Parks (SCCP) and GORC are teaming up to offer Guided Mountain Bike Rides. It's a low key way to introduce someone to off-road riding, and GORC will have experienced riders on hand to offer advice and riding tips.

The Guided Rides are conducted at a casual, exploratory pace, with the slowest rider setting the speed. We will try to use trails that are within the skill level of everyone who shows up, so some days may be more challenging than others. Plan on 1 to 1.5 hours riding, with available daylight and the group's enthusiasm being the deciding factors. Trails this year include Quail Ridge and the new trail at Bangert Island near I-70 and 5th St.

Single Speed World Championships - Napa, CA

Well, none of the GORC guys got into the 2008 Single Speed Championships held in Napa, California this year. Registration opened at midnight on Jan. 1 but we were all denied. Apparently, it sold out in record time - something like 7 minutes - somewhere between Hannah Montana and Michael Jackson's nose going solo.

But whatever, who cares. Like we paid for the first attendance in State College, PA right?

We'd have to fly and be sure to take your shitty SS because the airlines / ips / dhl / moonmen are going to drop-kick the box all the way to the x-ray machine. Scratch and dent sale.

For those who were there and (can) remember - we all know it's not about the race itself - it's about the party all weekend.

Only bummer is we run the risk of missing the flight back due to blackout.

Start training now.

Ozark Trail Trip Planner and Shuttle

There has been some mention on the GORC message board of the new Ozark Trail Shuttle operated by the OTA, and how convenient and useful it is for doing point-to-point rides which had previously required you to go through the hassle of arranging vehicles for drop-offs and pickups.

What hasn't been talked about much is a new way for you to explore the Ozark Trail, and perhaps ride some sections that you may have never thought about riding, or even heard about before, for that matter. This is the trip planner. Here are a few screenshots which show how you can choose the type and length of ride you wish to do from a particular trailhead. It then gives you the options available which meet your criteria and gives you links to the relevant topographic and GORC-style area maps, as well as very detailed directions which will make it very difficult to get lost. You can then see if a shuttle is available for the date you wish to go, and if not, perhaps arrange for a custom shuttle.

This is a fantastic service that is the result of the settlement by AmerenUE over the Taum Sauk Reservoir incident. It's also a great way to find out more about the gem of a trail that we've got in our own backyard.

The Year In Review

2007 was a busy year for GORC. I had to go back and look at the calendar to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Some of the workdays from last spring seem so long ago now. In case you weren't able to keep track of things, here's a review of what's happened in the past year:

- Trail 4 at SIUE completed
- The Rollercoaster at Castlewood completed
- Work begins on extension of DeClue Trail at Greensfelder
- Connector trail between Chubb Trailhead and Flint Quarry Trailhead completed
- Broemmelsiek and Indian Camp Creek Parks open in St. Charles County, each with several miles of trails
- Midwest Mountain Bike Festival in Peoria
- GORC trip to Winter Park, Colorado
- 24 Hours of Landahl
- Burning at the Bluff 12 hour race
- Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
- Klondike skill structures are installed
- More work on DeClue
- More work at Broemmelsiek
- More work at Indian Camp Creek
- 10th Anniversary Party at Klondike

All of this, in addition to the regular weekly and monthly rides at Lost Valley, SIUE, and Greensfelder, not to mention work on the Ozark Trail, and a few maintenance days here and there, keeping what's already been built ready to ride. I probably left something out, but hopefully it's obvious that it was another successful year for GORC, and with YOUR help, we can do even more in 2008. Happy New Year!

Mariachi twins

Yea, I know the title is dorky. But don't worry, Bryan and I won't start wearing matching sweaters or anything.
Christmas came early for this young man and what better day to try out the new ride then at SIUE in the snow.
Kirby, Mike D. Randy, Bryan and I went out for a nooner. Well, ride that is. Riding in the snow is kind of difficult. It combines the two of the things that drive me batty. 1. Inability to clip in, and 2. Riding in mud.
Of course it was just snow, but you still snail it around like you are in mud or sand. The great thing was the slow motion falls into the stuff. That was fun.
Anywhoo, great time out there!
Oh, and here is the newest member of our family.


Here is some sexy side action.

KLONDIKE WORDAY PARTY

Klondike workday-appreciation party!
10 years of GORC

Ah! I remember it so clearly. It was a dreary Saturday morning. Bryan and I found ourselves traveling off to Klondike. We chattered about how much fun it was going to be. Start the day off with trail work, follow that up with a ride and then it is PARTYTIME!!!! I was worrying about having enough food, beer, cake, etc. There were so many people signed up that I wanted to make sure everyone had enough. Then THOR took his hammer in hand and placed his magic belt around his waist.

For those of you who have not heard, my husband Bryan has an alter ego (or two). His alias is Thor. You know who Thor is, the Germanic god of thunder. He had red hair and a beard and rode upon a chariot drawn by goats. Goats? Well that's good because horses don't seem to want to do anything for Bryan anyway, let alone draw a chariot, but that is another story. I assume Ron chose the name Thor because the name has power! According to the Romans Jupiter Pluvius is the rain god, of course so is Zeus. Zeus is too powerful and Jupiter, well, it's Jupiter!
As we get closer to Klondike the god of thunder becomes larger than life. Oh yea, the rain just keeps coming and coming. Our hopes of a large turn out were slowly dwindling away. The gallons of chili, 4 kegs of beer, and a whole sheet cake started to seem a bit like overkill.
We arrive at the park and get directed to the maintenance shed. Woohoo! Shelter and heat, great combo. This is where the downed teeter is brought back to life. Thor brought along an E-Z up because he knows all to well about his secret powers. So the rock drops were able to be dropped in.
We gathered at the conference center for BBQ provided by St. Charles county. Mike and Craig & Co. headed out afterward to do some finishing teeter touches. The rest of us stayed inside for plan B.
What was plan B? Well it isn't the emergency birth control. Plan B is code for the keg of stout must die. Oh yea, it fought bravely, but we persevered. Of course the movie Beerfest helped keep our spirits high.
At some point there was a Donjo sighting.

Sorry St. Charles county, we have renamed this billy goat Donjo! Apparently he is a free wheeling guy & an opportunistic whore just like his namesake. He has been at the park for a couple of years just grazing along.
After the movies it was chow time! The elk chili that the Knopps brought was demolished There wasn't much left of it. There was also mild chili, hot chili and lil smokies. Tons of food left, but everyone stuffed to the gills.
Then more BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And of course CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After we killed the cake, we headed up to the cabins. All of the cabins were donated to GORC by St. Charles. How awesome! We each had our own cabins practically. Cameron and Co. had their own. He, his wife, and two daughters nestled down in Cabin F.
Then there was fire! Two blazing fires kept our toes and buns warm as we sipped on some fine Schlafly beer. Then it was time to retire for the night.
Of course in the wee hours of the morning Thor had to shake his hammer again. It started to thunder and lightening outside. But we were all nestled in our beds so he couldn't cause to much havoc.
You all missed a great party! We'll have to celebrate again when the weather is nicer and more hospitable!

The Thaw

You're riding along on your favorite trail on a nice winter morning. It's frozen solid and you're having a great ride. After awhile, the sun comes out and a few minutes later the beautiful hardpacked trail has turned to mush, and you and your bike are coated with mud. In this article, originally intended for the GORC newsletter, Sam Mitchell explains how this happens.

Every winter, the dirt we love to ride on freezes when the local atmosphere goes below 32 degrees F. The water in the dirt freezes and acts as a cement, making the dirt more solid than at other times of the year. The amount of water in the dirt varies from none (dusty) to saturated (muddy), that percentage mostly depending on the fineness of the material making up the surface. Very fine materials like clay can hold lots of water before they become plastic, when their shape can be changed easily. Water can act as cement or lubricant, making dirt solid or liquid.

While there is some warming of the surface of the earth by the hot core of the planet, it is tiny and constant, and does not enter this process. The temperature of the air controls the process. As cold weather continues, the thickness of the frozen dirt increases. We do not notice this because the dirt was solid to begin with, and remains solid as the ice thickens, and we have a good ride. In the central Midwest, frost depth can reach a foot or more, and 18 inches is considered safe for burying water pipes, to see they do not freeze. In the late 70s here, the winters were very cold, and the frost occasionally was more than 18 inches. In Minnesota, the frost can be several feet deep, and in Alaska the frost line is very deep and can be permanent, “permafrost”.

The trouble for our trails begins on warm, especially sunny days, in late winter or spring. The surface reaches 32 and the ice begins to melt, at first just making the trail slick. Much more worrisome is when the thaw continues, melting the water to a depth that does not yet reach the bottom of the frozen dirt. The remaining frozen layer is an impervious blockage to the melted water above, which in warm, unfrozen dirt would percolate down from the surface, as it would in a summer rain, keeping the dirt from becoming plastic and too soft. When the last of the frozen dirt does thaw, percolation can take place, the water descends from the surface, and the trail dries and becomes ridable. There can be several freeze/thaws over a winter, making a rider very frustrated.

Full thawing of the frozen layer can take days, maybe weeks in 35 degree weather, and use of the trails during the thaw can be destructive to them. After deep ruts dry and harden, they are slow to wear away, difficult to repair, and can cause a crash. Different parts of the trail thaw at different rates depending on the material at the surface, and whether the trail faces the sun or not. There is not much science for predicting the thaw in a particular place, but work is being done, see here .

A rider can start a ride on a stable trail, then come to an incompletely thawed part. TURN AROUND, DO NOT RIDE ON THAWED TRAILS. That can be very frustrating, but is for the best, for all trail users.

Monthly Meeting Wednesday, Dec. 5th 7 p.m.

Here's a picture of Kirby modeling his latest idea (shot with a wide-angle lens) for a GORC promotional item. He said something about his next idea involving a thong, so if you don't want to see stuff like this, you had better show up at the meeting and stop him.

Redline Monocog 29er Review

Here's a review of the righteousness of his Redline Monocog 29er by Cameron Brown (yurmom on the GORC Forum), that was intended for last Spring's newsletter which was never published. I'm sure he's put a lot more miles on it from when the review was written, and the color on Redline's website might be out-of-date.

Should I try this SS rigid 29er thing everyone is talking about? It's a question more and more people are asking themselves. You can read the countless commentaries about the pros and cons of the larger 29” wheels vs. the standard 26” wheels at places like mtbr.com and twentynineinches.com, but the basic idea is the bigger the wheel, the less displacement it experiences in rolling over uneven ground. Why would anyone elect to ride with only one gear on a totally rigid bike, ignoring decades of technical advancements in light weight suspension and gear componentry? I’d have to say it’s a combination of applied physics, one-with-nature zen philosophy, mechanical simplicity, and a bit of testosterone.

Riding single speed definitely has its challenges, but it’s not nearly as difficult as one might think. First, you are always in the right gear, whether you want to be or not. No more flubbing up a climb because you unsuccessfully tried to change gears at the last minute. Second, you develop your climbing skills, becoming much more conscious of the terrain and your physical state and riding position/technique. Riding builds more leg strength and forces you to use more muscle groups giving you a better overall workout. Also, with the fixed gearing, you find you get up those climbs faster than you used to in granny gear, expending what feels like the same amount of energy. And with a smaller single ring up front, you’ll clear those logs and rocks without bending teeth.

Giving up suspension was the toughest step for me. However, I decided to give the rigid fork a good test run before upgrading to something more exotic, especially since the leading suspension fork out there for 29ers (Rock Shox Reba) is about $450. Expect to pay about $275 for a carbon fork which will drop about a pound off your ride and soak up the bumps a bit more than a steel fork.

Riding SS rigid 29ers has a feel all its own. The rigid setup allows you to more fully experience not only the trail, but your bike as well. You quickly learn how your bike responds on a variety of terrain. The ride is faster than you might think, both uphill and down. Some say they experience a loss in steering agility due to the larger wheels. I don’t share their sentiment. With a rigid front fork finding the right tire pressure is key. The larger 29er tread patch provides added traction and allows for lower pressure riding with less risk of pinch-flats. My 175 lb back side typically rides on 30 PSI in the rear and 27 up front.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to get my Redline Monocog 29er, gleaming in Satin Brown, or what I like to call Fecal Green. I’ve only put about 30 miles on it, but I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to my hard-tail gear bike.

Monthly Meeting Wednesday, Nov. 7

The regular monthly meeting will be held at the Schlafly Tap Room at 7 pm on Wed. Nov. 7th. If you're lucky maybe JoshK (aka Tabletop) will give you some tips on the finer points of the proper way to tuck and roll, like he did for his friend Tom here at the MMBF in Peoria.

Workday Season Begins- Saturday 11/3/2007

After what seems like an unusually long break, GORC workdays are beginning for the Fall. First up is Greensfelder, where we'll continue to work on an extension of the DeClue Trail which will eventually eliminate any need to ride the bridle path between the radio tower and the Roundhouse parking lot. We'll meet at the Radio Tower Parking off of Allenton Rd. at 9 am. As usual, food and a ride will follow. Further details are on the GORC Forum. Information on upcoming workdays can also be found there.

Burnin' at the Bluff Volunteers

Another Burnin' at the Bluff has come and gone, and by all accounts, was one of the best ever. One of the reasons everything ran so smoothly was because of the behind the scenes work done by the GORC Volunteers shown in the picture. They had to deal with a lot of things that most of us don't think about-- sweaty, yucky batons, having lights shined in their faces, semi-coherent racers wanting to know their lap times, and they were always friendly and eager to help. A big thanks to Mari, Lisa, Barb, Steph, Josh & Tammie, and Bryan for spending the whole day doing everything. Scott Whitaker, Steve Smith, Mike Dunston, Jared Rosson & Craig Seibert also patrolled the course for the entire 12 hours.

Southern Illinois Fat Tire Festival

Our old friend, and former GORC member, Brett Billings is putting together this bash at beautiful Lake Glendale near Vienna, IL on Oct. 26-28, 2007. If you've never been down to Southern Illinois, you'll probably be in for a big surprise with the rocky nature of the trails down there. All of the details, including registration info are listed at the Bike Surgeon's website.

Brett promises that this is going to be a much bigger event than the one some of us attended 3 years ago. It looks like there will be more attention to some riding on the eastern side of the Shawnee, so hopefully it won't be a whole day spent searching for the elusive "John Deere Trail". It will also give SMBA a chance to show off all of the hard work they've done improving the trails on the west side.