Discovering A New Spot
Some time ago, Jim’s son played disc golf at a local disc golf course. After noticing the scads of rocks and boulders on and around the course, he told Jim he’d probably enjoy riding his trials bike there. So Jim, Tony, and probably others (I don’t know, I couldn’t go) gave it a shot – last year, I believe.
While I love our favorite local spots, I also really enjoy the opportunity to try riding new places, whether they’re local or not. So when someone proposed this spot for a recent group ride, I was definitely onboard. And Jim’s son was right about this place – it has some pretty cool features and lines for trials!
Healthy Rider Turnout
The ride started out with just Jim, Tony, and me, but others trickled in as well: Scott, Dan, and Ryan. This season’s rider turnout at the group rides has been smaller than recent years, so it was good to get this many riders. What I didn’t realize initially is that Jim’s son and brother actually came along as well – but to play disc golf, not ride bikes.
Jim, Tony and I spent a good deal of time warming up with some lines up and over a single boulder. I ended up making a whole video of just that, actually, because I liked watching the three of us demonstrating different skills and styles. And of course we had fun goofing and joking around together as well – a hallmark of our group ride dynamic.
Even More Rocks!
After spending some time riding rocks near the first “tee” of the disc golf course (and Dan fixing a pinch flat he got about 2 seconds into the ride), we headed into the woods to try out some other spots. I did more filming and riding this week. Not sure why, but I wasn’t totally “feeling it”. Plus, the other riders were doing some cool stuff I didn’t want to miss capturing on video.
In the woods, there were significantly more rocks than at the park entrance. In addition to a good sized boulder field, with (relatively) low consequence heights, there was also a gap line across the creek and a variety of other rocky lines. With the variety of terrain and obstacle types, it was interesting to watch each of the different riders choose lines that played to their strengths.
Respect The Public When You Ride
While we rode this location, we were sensitive to the fact that this was a disc golf course, with multiple groups playing that afternoon. We were on their turf, not the other way around. So we maintained awareness. Each time a group of players came through, we acknowledged them, stopped riding, and watched them throw. Additionally, we watched where their discs landed to help the players locate them, which they appreciated. It’s important to have this attitude when we ride so that the non-trials public accepts us (worst case) and wants having us around (best case).
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