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Did you ride the drop in to Horsethief all the way down?
Not a chance. The bottom of the drop in was more torn up than I had seen it before, plus I had about $3000 worth of camera gear in my camelback (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it ).
A friend of mine made it about 3/4 of the way down. The guy pictured above made it a little further, but no one cleaned it while I was there.
A few years ago I saw a guy on a rigid singlespeed effortlessly clean that section. It was absolutely the most impressive thing I have witnessed on a mountain bike.
We're going to hit MTB mecca (Moab) on our journy East. Can't wait!!! I wish we could sneak in Fruita too! Looks Amazing!
PS - So I just checked it out on the map and I think we have another pit stop for our trip!!! Now I'm extra excited!!! Have any tips for a new visitor?
That being the case, if you're already going to Moab, you'll be darn close to Fruita. Moab is about 30 minutes south of I-70 on the eastern part of Utah, and Fruita is 19 miles across the Colorado/Utah line (I-70 exit 19). Fruita and Moab are only about 90 minutes apart.
Fruita has more singletrack than Moab, but then Moab has more slickrock than Fruita (which does have some, but not nearly as much). Moab's trails tend to be more double track and old mining roads from when they were mining Uranium there. The other thing about Moab is that the 4x4 community loves that place (which has it's +'s and -'s).
Since they are close enough, consider riding in Fruita too. Over the Edge is the local bike shop in Fruita and they will point you in the direction of the best trails given recent trail/weather conditions.
PS - So I just checked it out on the map and I think we have another pit stop for our trip!!! Now I'm extra excited!!! Have any tips for a new visitor?
-Cyn
I saw this after I already posted.
Here's my advice for Fruita
1) definitely stop by Over the Edge to get trail conditions. Those guys helped build a lot of the trails in the area and really make Fruita what it is.
2) For the intermidiate to advanced rider: A nice 2.5 hour ride is to go out to "18 road" and ride Prime Cut to Chutes and Ladders, back to Prime Cut, over to Front Side, to Joe's Ridge, then catch Lower Zippity-Do-Dah (lower zip) back to the Parking lot.
3) For an easier day of riding (and a great "rest day ride") go out to the Mack Exit and the Kokopelli's trailhead. From there ride the Rustler's Loop.
While in Fruita I would recommend either the new Fruita Brewing Company, the little Mexican place just North of Over the Edge on Aspen street OR the Chinese place over buy the Super 8. Other good food options can be found in Grand Junction.
For where to stay in Fruita, the Super 8 is the cheapest at $55 or so a night. The Comfort Inn runs about $80 a night and isn't that much better than the Super 8, although it does have a better continenta breakfast than the Super 8. Then if you want to go nuts, there's a La Quinta which has whirlpool baths and runs over $100 a night ( $100 a night might not be much for California, but for freakin Fruita $100 a night and whirlpool baths seems like a bit much for a place that is trying to cater to mountain bikers ).
For breakfast, I would actually skip the hotels and head over to the coffee house just across the street from Over the Edge.
Your shots put me right there in the action! I've ridden those trails and really like reliving them through your photos. I think that riding narrow single track like those in Fruita is akin to Colorado twisties in a MINI.
Rick
That last shot of the monument is perfect composition...just underexposed!!! But wow it's a great shot!
Unfortunately that was necessary given what I had to work with and the shot I was after. I had to underexpose the monument to get the amount of detail in the clouds I was after. It's unfortunate, but if I properly exposed for the monument I would have lost the detail in the sky.
The real solution to this problem is to get a graduated ND filter.
You can see in shot 3 where I'm blowing out some of the cloud detail (the opposite problem of the monument photo). Again, a graduated ND filter would have been handy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pauhana
Your shots put me right there in the action! I've ridden those trails and really like reliving them through your photos. I think that riding narrow single track like those in Fruita is akin to Colorado twisties in a MINI.
Thanks. I'm glad to hear that someone who's ridden Fruita enjoys the photos.
I still remember a photo in Bicycling of Fruita from years ago where a rider was doing the initial drop in from the 18 road parking lot to Prime Cut. Just a beautiful photo.
You're right about the tight singletrack in Fruita being very comparable to driving the MINI. For me, the stretch where that is most true is when you pop out of Chutes & Ladders onto the Serengeti and go hauling off across the grasslands on smooth twisty singletrack.
Great pics. I too am an avid mt. biker, but I just cant put my D70 in my hydro pack. I am to afraid of crashing and breaking it. I dont crash alot, but normally have a couple good get offs a year. I have been looking at those back pack type camera bags with all the padding in them. Anybody have any experience with them? They worth the coin?
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Paul B
05 BRG/B, Cordoba leather, all 3 packages
I have a LowePro Nature Trekker AW II camera backpack. I was contemplating it though, along with putting a camelback bladder in the external lashed on pouch, but it was just way to bulky to take mountain biking. It would be great for a hike though.
Great pics. I too am an avid mt. biker, but I just cant put my D70 in my hydro pack. I am to afraid of crashing and breaking it. I dont crash alot, but normally have a couple good get offs a year. I have been looking at those back pack type camera bags with all the padding in them. Anybody have any experience with them? They worth the coin?
I haven't tried one of the camera bag backpacks but I use a hard case that has foam padding inside and it fits in a H.A.W.G nicely. At least that way you can have a pack that you will actually use for other things...like long rides or as a commuter bag. :smile:
it's good to see mountain bike pics posted. I take pics on my mountain bike trips as well, recently rode in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, St. George and Sedona. We managed to do 8 rides in 9 days, my pics are marked as (MS).
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Hybrid Mode
