i'll bring my radio this time too. just in case riders get spread out. lots'o mechanical issues on the trail last time.

with all the brake issues the last ride here. wouldnt you know i checked my brakes when i got home and one of my rear pads was completely worn! yikes. fresh rear pads for this ride :)

HEY FOLKS...just so we know who's gonna show at 8am and who's gonna show at 10am, can we all update our RSVP with the time we're gonna be there so we can figure out shuttling scenarios. also, please arrive 15min early so we can start on time THANKS!

latest weather reports says "some" rain early morning then just clouds the rest of the day.

I see that - rain expected at 9AM, but none before and none after. I guess that gives us some incentive to get down the mountain as fast as possible on the bonus run!

lol. yes. if we head up the mtn at 8am we should be able to start ride#1 by 8.25am. if we take mystic we'll be back to the cars by 9ish. hmmm..that gives an hour to kill until others show at 10am. unless we all show early. if not we can drive back up for another run, but if no ones shows at 10am we'd be screwed. :(

Past experience is that it takes 37-45 minutes to get down when going super fast. But given all the new ruts and a trail that is likely to be a bit wet from the day before, we probably won't get down until 9:30AM. So that leaves us with a half hour to wait for others. I don't think we'll have time to go back up and do another run before the 10AM crowd.

Oh and plus we usually ride through the bottom part, but since the creeks are running we have to walk through them. That adds about 10-15 mins making the likely total 1st bonus run time about 1 hour.

walking?! even last week i rode thru the canyon....worse than normal but rideable. but yes, the canyon route takes a little longer. i thought we might hit mytic the 1st run then do the canyon for the 1st beginer run, then let them try mystic, too.

after ride #1 we can always ride up and get the car we left at the top so we can start witha fresh set of cars for the 10am ride.

If we do mystic, we may have time to go get the car. Plus other than a little bit of rain, we won't get wet. So let's do that and see how much time we have when we get to the bottom.

Hi Guys, I'm new to the group and this is my first ride at this location. I'm fairly new to mountain biking. I ride a few times a week in the Santa Monicas, mostly Sullivan Canyon area. Will this ride be ok for an intermediate beginner like me?

sounds like a plan

welcome elizabeth, this trail is very beginner friendly, more so when its dry. even so, at a controlled speed you'll be fine. after you get to know it you can open it up. the "canyon route" is basically the main trail. the bottom has more water in it than usual due to the rain, but as long as you dont mind some water crossings (1ft deep) you'll be fine. like mark said, you can always walk it if your not comfortable. just be prepared for your feet to get wet.

oh, and bring some layers of clothes. it's gets chilly at the top.

walter. trail gets a little slick at the top, but once you start decending there isn't any mud. trail similar to san juan , decomposed granite-like, so doesnt mud-up. that said. with the rains we're gonna get sat nite over nite, the trail won't be dry. will actually be quite a bit of water on the canyon trail if we do that one. just a head-ups. no maybes here cause we need a head count on whos attending so we can figure out the shuttle situation since we are self shuttling.

I'll be there for the 8 am.

Is anyone else showing for the 10am?

I'll try to be there between 9:30 and 10.

Great, Eddie. See you then. This is my first ride with the group as well.

See you there.

the 8am group will be back down the mtn in time for another run at 10am. see you there.

It was great meeting everyone! That was the best ride I've had in a long time. A word of advice, if you ride with Chris and Mark wear body armor! That was some spill I took. Too bad Mark and Chris didn't see it. I'm glad my pedals released! I had a blast! Thanks Mark for organizing the meet. Thanks John for posting the great photos.

What a fun ride! Thank you Mark and Chris for organizing this. I had a blast and it was great meeting everyone. I look forward to future rides.

Wish I could have gone. It sounds like it was a blast. Great news though, I now have breaks!!! They had to tear down the whole bike and put all brand new components on it. Note to all: DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH CO IN THE WINTER W/ THE BIKE ON THE BACK OF YOUR CAR. And a cover doesn't help.

Good investment Renee because your bike, even though older, is a good model. We'll see you next time!

great meeting eddie and elizabeth on this ride. you both did great on your first visit to GMR. eddie got to know the trail "up close and person". see you out there next time renee. glad to hear the bike is up and running again. i think you'll enjoy this trail even more WITH brakes. thanks for posting the pics john! too bad david had to leave early...heal up for the next ride!

Stoked to see you all making it happen!

EJ is in da house!

Thanks Ashford. We held up the fort while you were gone.

hey, i ordered some pads last night! i'll be ready for the next ride. i think i'll wear them around the house to protect myself from my kids!

Hey Eddie, what kind of pads did you get, and where did you order them from? Thanks!

I got my pads through Amazon. Check out some options here:
http://www.saferbiking.com/index.php?option=com_content&a...

Thanks so much, Mark!

Hey Mark! Thanks, but she asked me.
Hey Elizabeth, after talking with people like Chris G and doing extensive research and trying on different pads, I went with these: http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/PG310B00-The+Storm...
A lot of people complained how the pads would slip off their knee, so I like how these have a sleeve you pull on. It's harder to put on and off, but they're more secure. But I'll have to test them out for myself.

elizabeth, you can check out some reviews of pads here:
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/mtb-apparel-and-protection/armor-...
i suggest trying them on before buying, they all fit a little different. jensonusa in corona usually has good prices. dont know too many LBS in santa monica but you might check with chris ashford.

oh here's a review on these pads: http://www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/main/?p=show_article&...
it's tough... who knows, maybe the the people who complain about slippage got the wrong size/fit. you should definitely go out and try some at some local shops.
are you riding this weekend? come join us at the topanga ride.

Thank you guys! This is a huge help and points me in the right direction. I will definitely try them on before buying. Eddie, I won't be able to ride this weekend because I'm going to Mammoth. My first trip to the snow in years, can't wait! Have a great ride!

Elizabeth,
The only thing I see that would deter me from getting the pads Eddie is suggesting is from the picture it looks like they slip-on instead of strap on. For me personally, pads get real cumbersome whil climbing. I strap mine to my pack and put them on on the downhill sections. This could be a problem if you have to take off your shoes everytime you want to put on your pads. Just my two cents. I use Fox "Launch" pads, they have never slipped. Plus they come in different sizes.

oh mammoth is one of my favorite places! have a great time and be carefull!

but david, why wear them only on the descent? you can fall while climbing.
elizabeth, you've got a lot to think about... good luck!

Like I said... just my two cents :o)

if you fall that often while climbing you have much bigger problems to deal with ;)

There are some trails like the Chantry loop we're doing in a couple weeks on which you would definitely want to wear the pads both up and down the ride.

this is a good discussion if elizabeth is still listening. what ever you go with and happy with, we will all be happier that you're better protected.

I'm definitely listening and taking in all of the advice. Thank you everyone! I will probably shop around for pads next weekend and let ya know what I end up getting. Since we're on the shopping topic... what's your favorite place for cheap biking clothing? Why does it have to be so dang expensive :)

for regular biking stuff, performance bike usually has some decent gear and prices http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/TopCategories_10052_... , plus you get 10% back when you join their club (it adds up!), for motocross type stuff http://www.cyclegear.com/ has lots of cool stuff, gloves, shirts, goggles.

I rarely pay full retail for clothes, opting to buy last year's styles instead. The Champion brand that Target, Big 5, Sports Authority, etc. carry hass essentially the same moisture-wicking material as the name brand stuff like Fox for about 3rd of the cost. Also, like Chris pointed out, motorcycle clothes are exactly the same and often cheaper than what you'll find in bike shops.

i have to credit mark for the cyclegear reference, he pointed them out to me in the past. got some great stuff there.