Trail List : Montana de Oro State Park

If the trail doesn't get chya, these will

Finding a worthy trail across the country can be challenging. When Patrick and I started planning our trip to California, countless hours were spent researching various trail systems. To our advantage, his family lives out there, so a quick call-to-action via Facebook resulted in countless options. Thanks to MTB Project by REI, we were able to take a virtual tour of the trail without ever leaving our couch.

The trails within the park are clearly marked

After shifting through suggested trails, we decided that it was important to keep it a short drive from the city, have enough miles of trails to make it worth the drive, provide camping, and be challenging with a huge payoff. What we landed on was Montana de Oro State Park. The park sits just north of San Luis Obispo and offers 20+ miles of out and back trails, camping, and amazing views of the ocean and mountains. (Seriously, my favorite part about California is being at the beach and in the mountains at the same time!)

View from the top of Hazard

Soon after setting up camp, we set out to Hazard Peak Trail. Rated as an easy/intermediate trail, it had come highly recommended so we were eager to test it out.
The trail starts with an easy climb up the ocean side of the mountain. After the initial climb, we were greeted by a flat, winding trail through the brush. If you're visiting, make sure to enjoy this part of the trail while you can! From there, the trail gets a bit tougher. The trails quickly changes into a moderately steep climb of loose rocks. Most riders will be able to make it up, just make sure to be drinking tons of water as the whole trail is exposed.
The climb is made all the sweeter by knowing this trail is an out and back. All of the climbing at the start soon becomes a crazy fast and flowy descent.
Confidence is key! With the large amount of loose rock on this trail, there doesn't leave much room for excessive braking. Once you make it off the steep part of the mountain, you're back in the grove where there is a ton of room for bike surfing on small berms. For those experienced riders, there's plenty of opportunity for small jumps, as well.

Once back at camp, we spent the rest of day 1 drinking beers and soaking in the views. Not all of the trails at Montana de Oro are bike-friendly! It's worth it to take some time to hike along the bluffs, though.

The next day, we wanted to check out an easier trail that promised just as amazing views. Oats Peak has all the fun that Hazard does, just with an easier climb to the top. It is an out and back, as well, so any efforts put in on the way up will soon be rewarded.
Oaks Peak is switchback city, making the climb all the easier and the descent all the better.
The trail is doable by beginners, but it does feature a ton of exposure which may rattle some nerves.

All in all, I'm very stoked that we chose to visit Montana de Oro. It was close to civilization while feeling worlds away. The trails introduced me to a whole new kind of riding that I wasn't sure if I could accomplish. The camping facilities are wonderfully maintained and the views made everything worth it.

Oh! Make sure you grab a bell at the top of biking trails, as this area is popular for hikers!

Bull and Jake

As some might remember, my last attempt at a relatively long day on my mountain bike didn't go exactly as I had hoped. But eager to regain my reputation (even if just to myself), I was excited when Patrick mentioned planning a trip to Bull and Jake.
When our planning began, we were set to do a 2-day-intro-to-bikepacking trip that would consist of splitting up a 65 mile loop over two days. After various injuries and general anxieties talked us out of that plan, we settled on the 25 mile loop that would start and end at our campsite.

The hour and a half drive to the North Georgia mountains is always one of my favorites, but this time it had a slight nervousness tied to it. Although I was excited about learning from Coldwater's mistakes, I was also terrified of having another crash-and-burn day.

Long story short, Bull and Jake was the most fun I've ever had on a bike ever!
We started from the Jake parking lot, which meant that the ~6 mile climb up Bull Mountain was the first thing to tackle.
Despite my GPS tracking each mile, I still wasn't quite sure when we'd start the terrible ascent. I'm really good at just blindly following the trail leader (usually Patrick) and not asking a whole lot of questions. Pat laughed at me when I finally asked when the climbing started. We had somehow gotten 75% of the way up the mountain without me really noticing. Awesome!
That was my first major confident booster of the day. The second one came once we reached the top and the descent began.
The descent down Bull is basically just a "hold on to what ya got" adventure. With very few technical areas, there's endless opportunity to keep gathering speed on the way down the mountain. The hop from singletrack to some rutted out fire roads makes it all the more fun!
Once I reached the bottom and caught back up with Patrick, I was ready for anything!

The rest of the day was, naturally, a bit more challenging. I made the mistake of looking at the elevation map, seeing Bull, and dismissing all of the other much smaller ascents. Turns out, what they lack in overall height, they make up for in steepness. Jake Mountain is filled with several short climbs and descents. Before you have a chance to catch your breath from the last downhill, you're back to climbing.

Going the direction we went, the ride ends with a quick creek crossing. Apparently, the water can oftentimes be thigh high. We got lucky with calve deep water during our visit and, being February, that was good enough for me.

Three miles, a couple of hike a bikes, and audible sighs later, we were back at the car. I was stoked to have had completed my first IMBA epic and even more stoked to still be in good spirits.

Current Gear Set-Up

Within the last month, I've been working on building up my bikepacking set up. Granted, it's been a pretty easy task thanks to a mechanically minded boyfriend, friends who've been in the game for awhile, and rad online gear swap groups.
I got some of my current gear as "starter gear" so I wasn't spending a ton of money on stuff before I knew fully what I was getting myself into. Reviews are super helpful in the process of setting up, but some things you just aren't sure what you'll need until you're actually out experiencing things for yourself.

I'll be working on doing full reviews for all of my current set up as I get more wear on them, but in the mean time, here's a comprehensive list of all the things I'm using.

Camping:
Sleeping pad: Nemo Astro Air Lite
Sleeping bag: Mountaintop Ultralight - this is a piece that I'll probably upgrade eventually, but it's perfect as a cheaper option if you're camping in mild weather & aren't ready to commit to a higher priced bag

On the bike:
Handlebar bag: Revelate Designs Sweetroll - mine is an older version that I bought second hand, but same idea
Seat bag: Revelate Designs Viscacha 
GPS: Lezyne Micro GPS
Pedals: Race Face Chester & Crank Brothers Candy 1

On my body:
Shorts: Mountain Khakis
Jersey: Specialized 
Gloves: HandUp

Bitsy the Jeep

Earlier this month, Pat and I bought a car! It wasn't a purchase we had previously put a whole lot of thought into, but once my beloved Scion started having more mechanical issues than we could handle, we set out in search of the perfect adventure vehicle.
An extensive Craigslist search led us straight to this 1995 Jeep Cherokee, which we half jokingly decided to go look at one evening. From the moment we pulled into the car lot, I was pretty much sold.

There were a couple of noticeable things we'd have to fix right off the bat : replace a door handle, install a hitch and bike rack, and find her some new tires Nothing we couldn't handle! And a '95 just 100,000 was something that couldn't be beat.

So, she came home with us about an hour later!

We've already managed to fix all the issues that needed immediate attention. By we, I definitely mean Patrick...but, I'm learning!
Once she was in perfect running order, we installed a hitch and ordered the perfect bike rack. We decided on the Saris Freedom Superclamp. It's a platform rack that holds 4 bikes, folds up when we're not using it, and tilts away from the back so we can easily access everything.

We've lovingly named her Bitsy. Partly because I just think it's a funny name, partly because you sometimes find new little bits on her that don't work very well.

The bright side, though, is that by having such an old, popular car is that parts are like $3 on Amazon.

We're slowly making upgrades to her and turning her into a full adventuring machine. I'll be tracking her progress on here as we go.

Waiting patiently for the weather to officially break so we can take her camping!

Coldwater Review....Kind Of

I had kind of expected to get this review written much sooner, but by the end of the day, I realized it wasn't so much of a review as it is a self reflection.

Camouflage bike 

Last week, I set out with two friends to conquer Coldwater Mountain in Anniston, Alabama. They've ridden the trails too many times to count, always coming back raving about how much fun they've had. I've heard these trails are some of the best the Southeast has to offer, so I won't water down it's amazing reputation with my "I had a bad day" rambles.

Instead, I've decided to realize that, sometimes, it's really nice to have yourself humbled in order to take a very real look at your strengths and weakenesses. Coldwater was definitely a humbling experience for me.

Between not properly eating (what else is new?), having an incredible fear of rock gardens (don't worry, I'm over it now), and never having done any sort of sustained climbing, it was one of the hardest rides I've ever done. From the time we left the parking lot, I knew I was in for a rough day.

What was lovingly referred to as "The Death Berm"

Once I psyched myself out after the first climb, that was it for me. My least and most favorite aspect of mountain biking is how pertinent a positive mindset is. There are some rides that I come out of feeling on top of the dang world or, as with this ride, I feel like finding a new hobby.

On the positive, my Surly held up amazingly. I can't imagine having tackled that trail on anything less. The brakes were amazing, which I put through extensive testing that day. The shortened fork proved for better climbing. And she handled falling over over and over again with dignity. 

Although this past week wasn't my day, I'm excited to continue to build up my strength and endurance in order to have a better experience next time I'm out there

Pat's bike is all geared up for his upcoming adventures & it looks so dang cool

Surly Instigator 2.0

Few days late, but now that I have a couple of rides down, I feel it's a proper time to talk about the new love of my life - the Surly Instigator 2.0!

I got my new bike as an early Christmas gift from Patrick. It's my second mountain bike and while I initially made the decision to get a new bike simply out of wanting a "tougher looking bike," I was not prepared for the night and day difference between my old Specialized and the Surly.

I started out with a Specialized Jynx, which was a wonderful beginner bike. However, my one and only resolution for the year (if you can even call it that) is to become a more serious mountain biker, so a new bike was in order.

Now if you've ever ridden with me or read any of my other posts, you know I'm the first to admit my beginner status. At this point, I'd rate myself at almost intermediate because I can finally make it down hill without slamming on my brakes at every turn, get off the ground on most rollers, and make it up most climbs. Whenever I'm talking about my riding experience, I feel like it's necessary to point out what phase of the game I'm in, because there's been many a times when I'm talking to someone about something they consider "easy" and it kicks my butt, or visa versa. Mountain biking is all about perspective anyway. ~~right, man?~~

I had heard a lot of other reviews talking about the Instigator's weight. With its stock 26+ tires and all its original parts, it weighs in at just around 31 lbs. So far, I've only done one ride with the fat tires on. It's a given to say that downhills were a BLAST, but the second there was any sort of elevation, I tired faster than I ever have. Granted, it might have been mostly mental as I watched my friends speed up the hill without any issues, leaving me to slug up a minute or two behind.
The day I got my bike, we put in an order for Mavic Crossride 27.5 wheels.
With the new wheels on, the bike's weight dropped to 26.5 lbs and man, it fliiiiiiiiiies now.
We paired the Mavics with Maxxis Ikon skinwall tires (because matchy). As my first pair of Maxxis tires, I can see now why people prefer them. When descending, I can feel the tread lock into place when cornering. There were several times that I think I should have ended up on the ground, but the tires kept me up. On climbs, these tires could crawl up rocks and roots without issue.

The Instigator has definitely already made me a much more confident rider, but with its aggressive geometry, climbing still wasn't as fast on it as it had been my Specialized. To help with that, we shortened the fork from 140 to 110. I haven't gotten to ride it with the shortened fork yet, so no reports on that. We are heading out for a long day of riding tomorrow at some trails I've never been to, so I'll be reporting back with a fresh trail review as well as updating on the fork.

To summarize, I would definitely recommend the Instigator to anyone looking to get rad. It's a machine that you just get on, hold on, and have fun on. It definitely delivers just that with no disappointments.

I'm stoked to continue testing it's limits, as well as making some additional upgrades to. Next up - dropper post!

In the Studio

Being a one woman show has its extreme perks, with a few downfalls thrown in there. Naturally, one of the biggest hurdles I'm constantly working against is pattern development.
I work closely with a few folks from the local cycling scene who are commuters, adventurers, and all-around-bike-people to come up with new ideas for products.
It's always an interesting challenge to go from idea to tangible item.

Granny Gear is a still a pretty young concept. There are bag makers who are worlds above me and that's really exciting! I love watching what other designers are coming up with (& wishing I had thought of it first).

Recently, I decided that I really wanted to tackle a pretty simple frame bag. I'd read a couple of tutorials online that made the process seem significantly less daunting.

I already know I messed up with this #nondriveside picture

The process was surprisingly smooth! I came out with a one color, one pocket frame bag custom made for my SS Fairdale. Also, because it's a custom bag, I made sure the straps don't cover up the Fairdale name...a little pickiness can be managed when you're making things for yourself. 

The frame bag is made from cordura, making it fully water resistant. The straps on future models will be a bit burlier to ensure the bag stays put on any adventure its put on.
I'm not quite ready to offer this to a general public yet. I'm going to ask some friends to use upgraded versions for a "prototype" run before opening them up for order.

I'm real stoked on how the first one turned out, though! And it was a great learning experience.
Now onto the next challenge.