Where, oh where has carljwnc been hiding???

carljwnc

carljwnc

Emeritus Forum Staff
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
Messages
3,103
Location
Fairview, North Carolina USA
Car Year
2016
Car Model
Forester Touring
Transmission
CVT
Since I sold the YotaRu and got the Outback, y'all haven't really heard too much from me. I reached a point with the Toyota where I really wanted/needed to take it to the next level. With two growing kids and not nearly enough time and $$$ to maintain and modify a 4x4 of any sort, I've pretty much reverted back to my original off road passion. Much easier and less costly to maintain, I'm back on the 'ol mountain bike. I'm still out in the woods, just going places no Subie or 4x4 is going to take me.

The ride...

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Started out to do a 14 mile loop, but my friend wasn't quite up to the task. Still got in a nice out-and-back way out in the middle of Pisgah National Forest.

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North Carolina single track at it's finest.

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Plenty of sections like this, some we rode, some were just too much for a couple of old men.

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You did not want to fall off to the left.

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Managed to ride this one, kind of surprised myself.

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Dragon head.

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Most of the trail was rootier/rockier than this, but some really great fast, smooth, swoopy crusin'.

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So, the Outback is pretty much an A to B car, but it's main purpose is getting me to the outback, about five miles of gravel road getting to this 'B' point, but until I start making way more money, or when I win the lottery, I'm going to have to stick to my pedal powered two wheeler.
 
Gidday Carl

That'll keep you fit, mate :biggrin:. Looks like a terrific place to ride, too.

Trust me, that gets more and more important as one gets older ... :iconwink:.
 
Great to see you "burning fat not oil", you get to see so much more & get fit at the same time

Nice the Outback is still getting some use, taking you to these great spots :biggrin:
 
Ratbag said:
Trust me, that gets more and more important as one gets older ... :iconwink:.
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This is actually some Dr. 'prescribed' biking. I was told that I needed to get just a bit more exercise a couple of years ago, my arm didn't need to be twisted too far.:ebiggrin:

Riding bikes has been my main form of recreation since I learned to ride at six years old. So much that I even worked in the business for twenty years. I like the fact that I can get some speed up, and get a bit of 'air' time unlike I could ever driving off road. We also moved into this area because of some of the best mountain biking the country has to offer. Still hoping I can get back behind the wheel in the dirt, just don't know when yet.
 
Mate the scenery looks pretty good. I live 500 metres from the Yarra Ranges National park and never get tired of mountain bike riding. It allows you to get to places you can't easily access by car and to walk in forget it !
You certainly get a bit of a speed buz going downhill, I have plenty of scares to prove it!
 
havachat said:
Mate the scenery looks pretty good. I live 500 metres from the Yarra Ranges National park and never get tired of mountain bike riding.
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Wish I lived that close to the trails, you might never get me off my bike.:biggrin:

My kids have gotten into it too. It is a totally different kind of riding for me, but it's nice to pass down the knowledge. I'm about to start taking my son on rides, with out my daughter, so he can go a bit further/faster. And dangit, that means I have to take yet another ride during the week.:iconwink:

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(kid on the left is not mine, my sons best friend, and he is a very talented rider)
 
Wouldn't be to difficult to set up a bike to carry your metal detector. The other option would be to pull a trailer, then you would have room for all your gear and plenty of loot. :ebiggrin:
 
havachat said:
Mate the scenery looks pretty good. I live 500 metres from the Yarra Ranges National park and never get tired of mountain bike riding. It allows you to get to places you can't easily access by car and to walk in forget it !
You certainly get a bit of a speed buz going downhill, I have plenty of scares to prove it!
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"Wow" is all I can say. There are desert city parks here, which are real nature with rattlesnakes and all, but I am not hiking there in the summer, thanks. In fact, the summer is brutal because there is no way out of the oven unless one takes a full-day trip. There is so much to do in AZ but little to nothing that can be done in half a day, with kids anyway.
 
NC Native said:
I miss the trails in NC. Bent Creek, Turkey Pen were my favorite places.
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Bent Creek is where I ride the most, just for convenience factor. North Mills where Laurel Mountain (in the above pics) is where I adventure to if I have more time. Kitzuma, outside of Black Mountain is another favorite, but I haven't done it in a few years. I really wish I could quit my job and just ride, so much around that I have yet to explore. My son is now really getting into it, so I think that will enable me to broaden my horizons a bit. :ebiggrin:

E.J. said:
Carl, is that a Breezer or a Burley? Either way sweet lugs.
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E.J. it is a Burki, which I'm sure you have not heard of. My friend and co-worker, who never had aspirations of being a pro frame builder, built a few frames for himself, traded one to someone for a motorcycle, and after a bit of arm twisting, built one for me. He was room mates with the Sycip bros and Curtis from Retrotec when they were in SF. True Temper OX and Henry James lugs and drop outs.:cool:

Point said:
Very cool ride. Nice to see something so old school that is in good condition.
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I built it to be the last bike I would ever have to buy. For the most part it's original Phil Wood hubs and BB, Chris King head set, Sun Tour XC Pro cranks and front derr. It has been through some rims, drive trains (I just "upgraded" to 9sp :iconwink:), as I've gotten older the cockpit has gotten shorter and more up right, the Marzocchi Z1CR replaced a Judy DH some 10 years ago, and my Hershey cantis got replaced with XTR V-brakes about the same time. The frame is on it's second drive side drop out, and I won't talk about rear derrs.:iconwink:
 
Good stuff Carl, good stuff. Alway's nice to get out into the forest to areas where you don't run into the noise of vehicles. Just you, your ride, and the big woods to talk to.
 
dirtyRU said:
Good stuff Carl, good stuff. Alway's nice to get out into the forest to areas where you don't run into the noise of vehicles. Just you, your ride, and the big woods to talk to.
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Yup, thats what I'm talkin' about. :ebiggrin:

Hopefully I'll be out there today with my son, but looking like big rain might be coming our way. :sad:
 
NachaLuva said:
And bears? lol :lol:
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I've only seen one bear while out riding, he just ran in front of me and kept on going. Encountered a few deer, snakes, and one box tortoise that I think I have moved off the trail four or five times over the course of years.:)
 
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