Tuesday, July 16, 2019

July 10 - Downhill from Upper Huffman to Hillside STAs

 It was a perfect night for a ride!  A few very nice husbands shuttled us to the Upper Huffman Parking, where we began our ride.

JoAnn and Cecelia ride the fun downhill on the newly diverted South Rim Trail - what a blast! 

Lisa cruises around a dusty corner of the South Rim Trail.

Rae was confident on her descent of South Rim.

Lisa had a huge smile pasted on her face!  

Kristine stirs up some dirt on South Rim!

Gess cruises past some fireweed on the STA trails.

Michele leads the way up one of the Hillside STA trails.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Kincaid July 3

Hot, hot hot!  The summer is turning into a hot one, with possible record-breaking temps. Riding in the woods at Kincaid was a great way to partially escape the heat. We divided into 3 groups and had a really fun evening.

 Christine cruises through a section of Middle Earth.

Nancy's group stopped for a photo on Second Breakfast.

Kaity cranks through Middle Earth to Mize, where we headed back to the stadium.

Happy, happy Divas at the end of our ride!

Matanuska Lakes June 26

Six adventurous Divas drove to Palmer to ride at Matanuska Lakes. We battled some hungry mosquitos, but it was a fun and fabulous evening!

JoAnn cruises through the green trails.

Gloria makes her way down the trail.

Carlene pedals hard despite the warm temps.

Fun & watermelon after the ride!

Friday, June 21, 2019

Kincaid - June 19

Sun, and more sun! We had another perfect summer night to ride at Kincaid. We split into 2 groups and took off from the Jodphur parking lot.  The grass is growing fast and tall! Nancy was leading her group and biking around a grassy corner on Bolling Alley and almost ran (literally) into a black bear.  Make noise when you're cornering in those grassy, hard-to-see spots. This bear heard us coming and ran away, but whew.....

Kristine's group was happy, happy!

Everything's greening out fast!

Such a great night for biking.

Natasha cruises through C$Express.

Kersten was a happy Diva!

Rose maneuvers a corner.

Kristine brought cookies and we celebrated a perfect night!

Friday, June 14, 2019

Campbell Tract - June 12

This was a perfect, sunny night for biking. We gathered at the Abbott Loop Community Park, and three happy Diva groups headed out in different directions for three awesome rides.

Mindy, Lisa & Kristine's group!

Riding into the sun!

Rae leads the way at the end of Root Canal, AKA Speedway.

 Bonnie cruises through the green.

It was Marlee's first time on Root Canal! YAY!!

Kristine takes a groupie/selfie at the end of Rover's Run.

Happy group!

Some of us stayed around at the end and basked in the sun.

More fun and silliness!
More and more smiles!

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Hillside Singletrack!

It was a dark and stormy night....  ⛈ There was a big storm brewing north of us, but it stayed away, and we hit the Hillside trails for the first time this season. It turned out to be a stellar evening of biking!
 Kristine's group paused on Ticket To Ride for an awesome photo opp!

Jo-Ann and Ruthie on "Three Birds" feature!

Rose's group conquered the first half of Gauer Power - one of the newer downhill trails!

Kersten was all smiles through the tall grass.

Happy, happy on a bike!

Katie cruises over the rocks at the start of Gauer Power.


Friday, June 7, 2019

Kincaid single track May 29

Cold, blustery conditions met us at the Kincaid Stadium, but we layered up and three groups headed out for a great night of biking.
Nancy's group had a blast!

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Shocks & Tires: let's talk about air

Hey Divas!

Now that the dirt season is here, it's good to take a look at the suspension on your mountain bikes and dial things in for better control and comfort when riding over the rocks and roots we find on the trails.

This description and video from Liv say it pretty well. Notice that it takes playing with the controls on your rear shock and your fork to know what they actually do. Also, note that your shock may have different labels for the controls than those used in the examples. If in doubt, ask your bike mechanic if they can offer tips on doing this yourself.

If we have enough interest, we may add a suspension tuning clinic to the schedule, so keep that in mind.

Another way to improve the quality of your ride is to change your tire pressure. Lots of Divas have heard me say “lower your pressure for the dirt” and asked “how much?” That depends on the trail, and it depends on your tires and wheels. On a hard-packed trail with not many roots, you can ride with a bit more air pressure, but when you're on a bumpier trail, less pressure will help.

Think of your tires like a basketball: When pumped up high, both bounce really well! And firm tires are great on the road, but when riding on roots and rocks, firm tires mean they are bouncing off each protrusion, giving you less control as those tires leave the ground. You'll also feel more beat up from the rough trail. These are signs that you should lower your pressure. But, how much?

The amount of tire pressure you use will depend on the size of your rims and tires, whether you are running tubeless tires, and how much you weigh. The sidewalls of your tires will give you a starting point by listing the recommended inflation range (such as 30 - 60 psi), but that highest number is usually reserved for pavement. The range 20 - 40 psi is a better starting point for our dirt trails with the lower range for lighter riders on tubeless. Remember, if you start on the high side and make adjustments on the trail, you should find the perfect air pressure. Then check the pressure with a gauge when you finish riding so you know what worked for those trail conditions.

You should also remember to check your tire pressure before each ride because your tires will naturally continue to lose air. You don't want to start the ride too low and risk a flat!

Don't be afraid to adjust your suspension or tire pressure to get a better quality ride. And don't forget to carry a tire pump and spare inner tube (and maybe a shock pump) in case you need more air later in the ride. Now get out and ride this weekend!

by rose


First Dirt!

YIPPEE!! The trails are open!  What a great night of biking, with 3 eager groups of Divas hitting the trails for a super fun night.

Nancy's group had a blast on the single track in Far North Bicentennial and the Campbell Track!
Kirsten flies down Black Bear with a wild smile!
Rose and Michele make the final curve at the bottom of Black Bear.
New Diva Christine crushes it!
New Diva Lisa couldn't wipe that smile from her face! Yippee!
Potential Diva Heidi conquers some roots with her brand-new bike on Root Canal.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Spring Fling!

Divas are upping their costumes - there were so many good ones!  Excellent outfits, everyone! And, it was an awesome night for a costume ride down the Coastal Trail, despite the construction detour.
Introductions!
Wendy won Best Costume with her aviator outfit, complete with a propeller!
Danielle won Best Bike! She was a great clown, complete with a cardboard clown car attached to the back of her bike! 

Nancy and Michele did their thing as Thing 1 and Thing 2.
Krista sported a hot dog costume! We called her Krista Mayer Weiner!
JoAnn and Marlee were super bright in their boas.
Rose (who made her shirt), and Wendy get ready to ride.
Wendy took this awesome selfie!

 Hahahaha! Danielle's nose was rolling down the trail at one point!