Some pics...

[biken201]

As the camping season is winding down for most of the country, I thought I'd add a few pics from one of our favorite boondocking sites. These pics were taken a few years ago on the Mogollon Rim (AZ)...

[bikendan]

Biken201, i think i'm more jealous of the Ellsworth!
nice ride! which model is it and i know you must love it.

[biken201]

Thanks BikenD, that is an Ellsworth Truth (circa 2003). I do love it, and actually just got back from a ride! I assume your "Biken" is bicycle and not motorcycle? What do you have in your stable of bikes? I also have a steel Ibis Mojo (circa 1999 - right before they went out of business), and a litespeed road bike. My ride today proved that I can no longer just run out for a nice ride after being off for awhile; 42 is definitely not the same as 32...

[bikendan]

well, i have a Giant VT-2 all-mtn. f/s bike, a K2 4000(f/s buddy bike). i also a K2 Razorback f/s XC race bike and a road bike that i both built.
i have an old hardtail that i use for a commuter bike.

i got the Razorback frame and suspension fork thru a grassroots racing program from K2. i got companies to give me pro deals on the components and put it together with help from a guy from REI. i then did some amateur races for a few years. but there's no Clydesdale division anymore, thanx to US Cycling getting involved. now it's all Cat divisions.

did the same with my road bike. got the frame and carbon fork as a Xmas gift and got the components thru Ebay, Craig's and local shops.

you know Ibis used to be near where i live.
isn't Ellsworth in Ariz. or New Mexico?
and hey, it doesn't get any easier as you get older. i'm 57 and it's getting harder and harder to get motivated.
i've had a few bad crashes on my Giant, lately and i'm losing my Mojo because of it. i'm finding myself hesitating in technical sections that i used to just bomb through.

[Triguy]

I give you guys credit for rocking the trails. Anything technical and I'd probably kill myself (age 45). Now-a-days, the only time I break out my old Gary Fisher is when I'm riding with my kids. So, its just road and tribikes for me. But I do miss those rocky descents ... sometimes.

Nice pics Biken201.

[MtnGuy]

biken201, nice pictures, and sweet Ellsworth !! By the looks of your seat post, you must be 1 tall dude.

Since this thread has turned into bike bragging, I will have to chime in.

I bought a Trek 830 (unsprung) in 1998, and I now have Rock Shox on the front. I never did much technical stuff other than creek crossings and log jumping, and keep the bike on mostly double track stuff now.

I have a Shogun 200 (road bike) that I bought in 1986. Double butted chrome-moly frame with friction shifting.....definitely old school....and a bit heavy compared to new bikes. I put 1000 miles on my bikes last year (mostly the road bike), and hope to do that again this year, although I only have 900 miles so far and the weather is turning a bit cold.

[biken201]

BikenD, I'm not sure what city, but Ellsworth is located somewhere in So Cal. I've never been fearless and have had my share of injuries over the years (separated shoulder, damaged ribs, cuts, bruises, etc.). The trails here in the Phoenix area are fairly rocky and unforgiving, so I am usually pretty careful about staying upright... I realized yesterday that I am no longer able to just jump on the bike, after being off for more than an acceptable amount of time, and enjoy the ride...lol I guess waiting until next week to "start" getting back in shape is not the option.

It's great to hear about everybody else's ride! Whenever possible, I try to bring my bike along when camping; getting a decent ride is one of the best parts of the trip.

I encourage everyone to post pics of their rides along with their campers! We are planning a trip in a few weeks, so I'll try to add a few then.

[biken201]

a few more...

[biken201]

and more...

[biken201]

Sorry old girl, you need to stay here...


Hurry back!

[MtnGuy]

I had a dog that loved to go mountain biking with me. If she was in the my path, she would move as I came up on her. A number of times she came back more exhausted than I did.......of course she covered 3 times the distance chasing squirrels and interesting smells.

[Steeljag]

Nice pics and bikes. Living here in Florida...no need for Mt.bikes, although I would like to give it a try ! I have two road bikes.....a Trek 2.3 and a Specialized Roubaix. Also have a specialized Sirrus that's used for our camping trips!

Riding is allot of fun and.....great exercise !

[biken201]

Years back when I lived in Illinois, I had a yellow lab that would bike with me. He was an awesome companion and was capable of whatever I was capable of!

None of our current pack are capable of following on rides. The dog in the pics is our oldest and the only one who is trusted off-leash. She would love to follow, but at 11+ years, her old bones couldn't take it. Also, our experience with Akitas is that they don't have the stamina to chase me on a bike for more than a few miles...

[bikendan]

My golden, Zoe, loved going with me on rides. She learned to follow right behind me, never getting ahead of me.
Whenever I got my bike out, she'd be at the door, ready to go.
But she's 13 now, with bad hips, and can't go. Breaks my heart cause she still wants to go.

[Labzy]

I used to have a vintage Pinarello with the tri-coloured paint, comemorating Alexi Grewals 1984 Olympic gold medal win, but dues to lack of storage space here, I gave it away to charity.
I also gave to charity a Rocky Mountain with WTB drop handles.

I only kept my OLD custom made KONA, which I love and will never 'donate' it is about 20 years old and every time I bring it in to get a tune-up the guys at the shop always comment on what a good bike it is for its age. It does not even have suspension ('cuz thats for pansies anyways ) and I could not add it even if I wanted to because the head tube size is not compatible with the new forks.

I also have a Schwinn (piece of crap) bike that I use when I go riding with my DD. It has got a wider seat, and is more comfortable for me when I do not have cycling shorts on.

Years ago, I had a black female Lab named "Kona", who was the best at staying with me when I took her to local trails, she was a b#tch to walk on a leash, but perfect off-leash (go figure....).

My new Lab Zoey, is pretty good so far, but I do not take her out as much as I should.
I have been taking her out when I rollerblade, but I find that she stays too far behind me and out to the side too much ( I keep her on a leash when doing this as it is on the streets in my neighbourhood) and idk why she does this....?

[Triguy]

Wow Kim. I'm truly impressed. I can't seem to ever get rid of my old bikes or frames or groupsets or seats or jerseys. Frankly, anything bike-related. I think I have a problem.

[Labzy]

LOL, I would hate to see your garage or basement then ;p

[trudinator]

Biken201, those are some awesome photos. Makes me wish I were camping in your neck of the woods, since I love mountains. But we all have beautiful areas in our backyards that we sometimes take for granted. And BTW, I have a Giant bike that I don't use nearly enough. Still sitting in my spare bedroom from LAST winter when I wanted to put it on my bike stand to get some exercise during cold weather season. You know....the best laid plans and all. Happy camping and biking!

[biken201]

Arizona definitely has it's advantages when it comes to camping and biking, and has a lot of diverse and accessible biking within a few hours drive. I have to say, however, that Wisconsin is hardly lacking in awesome rides (both on and off road!). I grew up in the Chicago area, so it goes without saying that I spent plenty of time visiting there (I have aunts, uncles and cousins who still live there). I miss the cool moist hardpack of the forests (but not the mosquitos), and look forward to getting back there to re-live some fond biking memories. Before I moved to AZ, I was a staunch holdout for non-suspended bikes. I never felt the need for a full-suspension rig prior to experiencing these trails like we have here in the Phoenix area. The rocky terrain has proven that full-suspension bikes have their place. With that said, I still find myself riding my Ibis hardtail most of the time... I'll share more pics as we get out with the new Roo...