February 26, 2023

 
So, February is going out with a woosh of 100mph winds...  Ah, springtime in NM.  Well, maybe not 100mph, but winds here are crazy intense through spring.  Thought I could get up this morning and get on the ramp before it all started.  Turns out, I was just in time to catch the beginning of the weather coming through.  Managed a few runs on the Dirt Bros tribute, which is always fun and a challenge.  Then it just got too crazy.

Got the bright idea to add some height to the ramp the other day.  Have been considering it for a while.  So, cobbled some scraps together and built a 4ft wide tombstone thing, just to see if I could manage it at all, or if it may make the ramp to challenging, and I wouldn't ride it.

It's a little ghetto, but solid.  Should have made it 6ft wide though.  It's a little disconcerting to send it off the high, and land in the low part, though most of the time I'm right at the edge, and not even close to hanging up or anything.  hardest part is getting speed to get out over the top.  Have to air really high on the opposite side, get a good pump, and that's just barely enough to eke over the top.

Not exactly "blasting", but the pushing the Caveman up there on the Demolition Hammerhead 2.25's

Week-End Update:

Last Tuesday, I got out the Dirt Bros Trial R Park bike and tried to get some photos on the ramp.  The Maxxis Holy Roller tires are not very ramp friendly, turns out that rotational weight is indeed a thing.  Getting that one up to speed was a lot of work, and I gave up pretty quick, and moved on to the green Haro, haven't been on it in a while.  Something about the geo or the wheels on that bike make it almost effortless to ride.  Really dig it.  

Wednesday, started out super nice, like a great springtime day, and progressively worsened to a horrible wind/snowstorm.  Was able to get a good session in early, and couple decent picks too, from the not so usual angles.

Really getting a feel for riding faster and over the coping.

Thursday was the day I built the tombstone thing, really wanted to ride ditches, but energy was too low to venture out to explore.  But, apparently high enough to built a frankenramp.

So, this is turning in to a February update of sorts...  

Riding progression.

Not a lot on the progression thing this month, not that I really keep track - just happened to think of it as something to write.  

Found dirt jumps early this month, checked them out with Bill, who was the one with the info.  Was haunted by them, been a while since I've been on dirt jumps.  Ended up going and hitting the first two with @_rolling_bones, felt the third one was possible.  Went back with @_rolling_bones, and got the first three, after landing the third, number 4 felt like it should just fall in line.  But I decided to save it for later.  Like, when I could go back by myself, ha.  Not on purpose, but was just feeling it that day, so went, set up a camera, and did the set of four on the first go. Cased the last one a bit, so did it again, landed clean, and left.  Definitely want to go back, they're nicely built and not too high consequence.

Some kind of turn bar tweak out thing on Rolling Bones's Aqua Dream

Not just On Any Sunday, but Rolling Bones, on his Sunday, on a Sunny Sunday in February 2023,

finding some fresh air above the coping.

Got to session at the @_rolling_bones estate a couple times this month too.  Really dig their ramp.  A little longer transition than mine, and little more mellow.  Takes more time to get to the coping, so you have to concentrate - which helps me ride my ramp better. Always a cool vibe there.  I think the second session was the one that led to the inspiration to make mine taller.  Along with finally getting an air over the railing at my ramp.

Over the rail, 2-13-23

The over the rail air was a goal since I built the ramp.  And for a while, I was pretty certain it was unobtainable.  But after the last session at @_rolling_bones place, something clicked with speed and timing - waiting an extra quarter second for the back wheel to hit the edge of the transition.  Soon as I did it, I could feel the whole extra 6-8 inches in height, lol.  So, keen accomplishment, minor as it may be.

Couple more times over, on different days, just to prove the first wasn't a fluke!

Tried a couple turn-downs, but no luck.  Think I need a little more height, and a harder snap when executed.  Believe I can get it though.  SO close on manuals too.  Will be interesting to see how the efforts evolve when the ramp is larger.  Have a feeling grinds will be easier to hook up.

(Another) New lens this month.  A Meike 6.5mm fisheye for the mirrorless Canon M6MKII.  I've been looking for this setup for years, ever since my old Peleng bit the dust.  I have several ultra-wide angle lenses, but nothing with the distortion I like.  The Canon 10-18 is a nice enough lense, and I dig the autofocus, but the rectilinear aspect of the lens distorts things in the opposite way my eye finds pleasing.  The Meike is aspherical (I think?), and it's relatively sharp, even to the edges.  Something my 7.5mm lens cannot seem to do, even if stopped down.  So... hopefully some new angles coming soon.

View from inside the "shop".  Man, need to clean those windows!

Bike Updates.

Playing with idea of selling the Dirt Bros frame and some of it's parts.  I was super stoked to have landed that frame, and owned a Dirt Bros bike, but thing is, I just can't really ride it.  It's pretty heavy, slow roller, and I just don't look to it for riding very much.  We'll see.  Just an idea for now. The wheels would be perfect on the Nyquist.  Hmmmm.

The Nyquist, in it's "almost finished" form.

Speaking of which, it's nearly complete/finished. Had the Lineage Chrome wheels on it, but just switched them back to the Haro Master, along with the Haro Multi-Surface tires, that bike feels and looks so clean now.  Updated tires on the United Caveman as well.  Found some Demolition Hammerheads in 2.25".  I think they're closer to 2.3's, but definitely feel smaller than the 2.4's they are replacing, which was the goal, to get that bike to feel a little more alive.  Will be trying to ride that a little more this spring.

The Master, lean tires and clean looking now.  Mags were cool, but impractical for how I want to ride it

Have been slowly dipping back in to photography - beyond bike stuff.  Slow process, trying to (like with the blog) find my voice.  The infrared Fuji camera is really cool, but challenging to compose with.  Really need an autofocus lens, I think, to really get the shots I'm looking for. But, it will be an ongoing process.  Trying to let the creativity grow a little, and spend a little less time watching things.  

That about wraps up February 2023.  Couple days to go.  Back to work tomorrow, Mondays are the worst there. Weather supposed to be nice in the afternoon, might get some riding in.  Future entries should be more.. or less... I don't know yet.