Post by: VintageBlueSmoke on November 27, 2011, 11:05:31 AM
Our terrain here is steep, rocky, slimy and wet. The rocks are often loose and covered with a fine film of algae and the mud is much like north Georgia - reddish, shiny, and slick. Even in the best of times, a simple trail ride will be extremely difficult and in the winter, after several days of rain, downright painful.
Started off my getting the ol' girl out of the back of the garage and firing her up. I recently put a new crank and top end on it so the fuel was still good and she started right up. I knew I had a lot of miles to ride so I went to top off (the still running bike) with fuel and melted my pant leg of the header. Nice. Second pair this year. Now the complaining starts.
I call my buddy and we decide to meet at the top of the mountain - the halfway point of our event since both courses loop back to there. For me to get there, I can take the road but there is a really cool (read difficult) trail too and there is where I plan to go. The beginning is a steep, rocky, slimy and wet climb for about a 1/4 mile but then it becomes fast 2-track. I never got to see the fast part.
Third gear entered the trail and launched the first rock, ricocheted off the next to make the first switchback...bogg....downshift into second but now I'm too high in the gear and the rear end steps out but the front end comes up and I can muscle it into position for the next big rock step. Shift to third but overshoot the next switchback and have to let off...bogg...downshift to second, wheelie over the next two big steps but fighting it the whole time (it's like I have to carry the pig!) until I reluctantly have to put my foot down - and the bike falls over. It is just too top heavy to my vertically challenged body to support. I'm a third of the way through the tuff part so I pick it up, hit the start button (thank gaaawd!) and take off, quickly shifting but second is still too low and third is too high and I pin-ball my way up the next section until again I reluctantly have to put my foot down - and the bike falls over...again. Now the clutch lever is wrapped in a loop but still usable with one finger.
Screw this. I still have the whole 70 miles to go! So I point her down and ride on out, back to the road and the easy way to meet my friend. My only saving grace is that when he pulls up he immediately complains that it is slick out there and he fell down already. I didn't mention that for me it was twice! (Though I did bitch about my pants).
So up until nearing our third check point it is uneventful. The day is nice and we are enjoying the trail. We approach a particularly difficult rocky downhill section. It is large boulders with the final one being about the size of a school bus. It wouldn't be all that hard but it is slick. Like Ice. Like you couldn't WALK across it. It is on about a 25 degree angle and my plan was to just wheelie onto it and hold everything as straight as possible, then when I got to the end, make any corrections that might be necessary to keep going. Nope. Front wheel touched the rock and slid right out from under me. Now the front brake lever matches the clutch! Fortunately, my buddy dropped his machete so it gave me time to get going without him knowing I fell...again.
Everything went well from then on. Shortly after the 6th checkpoint, we found a large tree had fallen across the trail so we aborted and went back for my Jeep and the chainsaws (Dolmar and McCulloch). We cut the tree up and finished the trail in the truck. We started at 5 in the afternoon and finished at 2 in the morning. All in all, I'd say I had a pretty good day since I got to play with my two loves (bikes and trucks) but also it made me remember the other reason why I hate my 4$ (the cost of ownership) and why I am posting here. It's not that it is too heavy. It is similar to some of my other bikes on the scales. It is that all that weight is on top! I am 5' 7" and weight 140 lbs. I am just too small, too weak and too old to hold that thing up past about a 10 degree lean.
Post by: SachsGS on November 27, 2011, 03:54:28 PM
Post by: citabjockey on November 27, 2011, 05:25:05 PM
Post by: VintageBlueSmoke on January 30, 2012, 01:01:38 PM
The chain saws are 2T right? Thank the gods!
Yes they are. And a funny story with that...
I had a Husqvarna chainsaw, I loved it and it worked great. Then I moved to the Azores for the first time and I was weight limited coming over here so I left it with my father. After getting settled I need a chainsaw for the firewood so I called him and asked him to send me my Husky. What arrived in the mail was a new McCulloch. He refused to give me the Husky back, he liked it so much.
So I used the Mac (happily) for about 2 years and then I moved again and it went into storage...for the next 15 years. This year, I took it out, filled up the chain oiler and added premix. Pumped the bubble on the carb and pulled....braaaapppp! Fifteen years and it fired on the first pull. Honestly, it don't cut for crap but it is dead reliable!
Post by: eprovenzano on January 30, 2012, 02:15:12 PM
Post by: SachsGS on January 30, 2012, 03:18:53 PM
Post by: cnrcpla on January 30, 2012, 05:44:56 PM
Post by: citabjockey on January 30, 2012, 06:06:13 PM
Post by: TMKIWI on January 31, 2012, 06:39:12 AM
A guy I know thinks it's the bee's knee's.
Post by: eprovenzano on January 31, 2012, 01:53:00 PM
Post by: cnrcpla on January 31, 2012, 02:09:59 PM
Post by: factoryX on January 31, 2012, 02:23:54 PM
Post by: Stusmoke on February 03, 2012, 12:39:18 AM
Post by: SachsGS on February 03, 2012, 04:11:30 AM
Post by: Stusmoke on February 03, 2012, 07:31:30 AM