Wanna recipe for bike handling?
Take some of the rockiest trails around, add a bunch of moss growth, lots of roots, and about 4 inches of rain.
I don't normally condone trail riding in wet conditions, but I found some trails that are carved out of the bluffs of limestone and dolomite in Jefferson City that as far as I can tell, are not damaged when ridden wet, and they sure are fun to ride.
The wet moss covered rocks are quite slick, there is very little if any mud, and the short steep climbs will test your skills, and strength. The climbing is a test of how well you can keep the weight balanced between rear traction in loose rock and pine needles, and bringing the front end up.
These trails are tight and slow, and an absolute blast to ride. I am not sure why they have been largely abandoned by most local riders. One lap will take only about 20 minutes, so it doesn't take long to ride a few laps, and then you can cross the street to a sweet new coffee shop where every drink comes with a double shot of espresso...and it even has a drive through in case you are too sweaty to go inside!
Every time I ride these trails I wonder why I don't go there more often.
The attached clip is a little collection of photos from my adventure today. The trail is a little tough to see in some of them due to over growth, but its there.
Classic
that shot of your bike in the water is classic. did you ride that?
Yes, and it was cold!
Yeah, it is not too bad. It is at the bottom of a little hill so your shoes don't get as wet riding as they would if you walked. The base is very rocky, and sandy, so it will cause some grindage in your brakes.
We have considered building a bridge over this area, but the stream channel is ever changing...In one area it is migrating very close to the the greenway (paved pedestrian trail), and I predict it will destroy a portion of the greenway this spring if we get a good snow melt.
Did you notice the leaves stuck in the tree in the background to the left? The water was obviously much higher here a few hours earlier.