Been slacking alot lately but finally made a few videos that might be a little interesting ... This is the bike I just put rings in and so far ok but I really can't tell alot of difference in performance just yet. With that said, this bike is a TC model and 1st gear is too tall on the trails from time to time. That's meaningless to me really as I just ride through places like that. But I do get a flameout from time to time on this bike, I think from the tall gear, made worse by worn rings? (WAG) ... Today, no flameouts and the grade of the climb that was never successful, short but maybe enough to test the new rings performance. Bike felt ok to me and short climb but it pulled from the bottom RPM up the hill... Never thought the bike was the issue here with the climb. -- Here's the climb I could not make... It's steep and has 3 step-ups .... That middle step-up (right above the left handgrip) is solid rock and is well over knee-high ... Not vertical but close ... Camansi Bluffs view Sittng on the second stepup
Here's the ride out there and to the bottom of this small climb ... Looks like these guys are doing some tree cutting and other farm work and have beaten out the road some .. View: https://youtu.be/0mlSjiNZjfY
First attempt going up ... Looks like I misjudged a few things ... For openers, the bike pivoted on the rear axle after the climb stopped because I hit the rear brake too hard to stop from sliding back down the hill ...It was pretty steep ... Just for an instant I thought the bike was gonna flip back down and on me and that's when I rolled down the hill to get away .. View: https://youtu.be/maHKjQxRKK4
Attempt 2 -- pussed out is about all I can say .. Tried to go slow and power the bike over the step-ups ... Just wrong View: https://youtu.be/3ItJDOxMEl4
Last attempt (3) - Should have made this one or at least got to the 3rd and final step-up ... Feathered the clutch perfectly over the middle setup, got the front wheel back down, felt the rear wheel step over, but was too laxed in getting back off the clutch and the terrain was so steep, I lost forward push. View: https://youtu.be/TPCl2hw9o8w I'll be going back here next week I do hope.
Here's the alternate route to go around this climb. Goes on up the spur in a different route but will twist back to the trail that goes up that climb. It looks simple enough but that slight path you can see, is about 3 knobby knobs wide... Plus that hill side is steep and that small creek below it is deep and steep ... If I slide off the path, I'm about guaranteed to end up in the bottom and will need help. I've went this way before and was wanting to make that climb instead of risking falling into the raven, but maybe not. That path needs about 1hr work with a pick to carve a small flat path into the side of the hill.
Here's the roll out after I was blocked ... Went down the creek on the way out and found some guys digging coal ... You just never know what you're gonna find here. View: https://youtu.be/yO5aCUn1pBM Not sure what breed that long-haired goat is exactly that I rolled by on the top-side, but it's got to be an expensive type ... costing lots more than most of the smaller short-haired goats all around here. Just judging by the way I've seen him (and his) run to the end of that rope and flip, he's no smarter I'd guess..
3 letters R P M watch the top tier guys----full R P M control power with clutch- stay ahead of the bike, once you're hanging off the back you are in loop out mode. That low rpm stuff especially on the short stroke x-lite high revver is a tough way to go about it. If its a nogo bail get your bike parallel to the hill and lay down easy onto the uphill side......then you just wiggle your front until it faces down and roll back down, even in hill climb failure it can look fairly decent when done right.
