VeloViet Mountain Biking Report

Got invited to try out some "easy" MTB route today, so I dusted off the old 27 lbs hardtail, squirt some oil on the chain, and went out to ride the Fullerton Super Loop. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!

I met up with Roger and Tien, both overy f whom have rode with the VeloViet club on the road. I also met Cynthia, a spunky, nice, and funny gal who has been in the MTB scene for only 2 years now. First thing I noticed was everyone's bike had dual suspension and disc brakes. Hmmm... this could spell trouble. The four of us took off.

Photo 1 - Ready to Go Before the ride

First half of the trail was not too bad. Mostly a fire road that walkers, runners, and bikers used for exercise and recreational fun. You do have to pay extra attention to the trail because there are so many things on the trail that can cause you to fall.

Photo 2 - Don't Get Hit by a Branch

Photo 3 - Watch Out for that Rut

Climbing on a mountain bike is definitely different than road bike. The hills on this route are shorter and a lot steeper. Once you have committed on a climb, you can't slack off, you can't stop, you just have to push through it or else you will fall! The climbs are higher power output, compare to the road, but a much shorter duration.

Photo 4 - Extremely Difficult Climbing a Steep Hill with Loose Rocks

Photo 5 - Top of the World!

The second half was extremely technical for me. Some of the descents were downright scary as we were dealing with the steepness, the loose rocks, the ruts, the mud, and the tight turns. Yikes!

This is where I had my first fall, and it was actually on a non-technical portion. I was not paying attention, had to stop quickly, and did a flop on a concrete wash. Ouch that hurts!

Photo 6 -Very Scary and Very Technical Section

Photo 7 - No Way Were We Going to Ride Down this Steep and Rutted Hill

Photo 8 - First Fall, with Cynthia Not Showing Any Moral Support ;-)

The route was this point on was mud, rut, more mud, and more rut. The heavy Southern California rain had washed out certain sections of the trails, and it was not possible to ride through these sections.

Photo 9 - Roger Had a Mud Shower

Photo 10 - Mud, Mud, and Even More Mud!

Photo 11 - Roger, Cynthia, Tien and Phong Posing After the Ride

Turns out we did about a total of 15 miles in almost 3 hours. MTB builds core muscles, endurance, and technical skills which I hope will transfer to road riding. I had great fun on the mountain bike today with some new cycling friends.

Out,
Phong