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Sunday, September 07, 2008

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Conditions

FRONT SIDE: OPEN

DARK SIDE: OPEN

Conditions on 8/30/08: EXCELLENT, w. a little dry slip & sand.

The trail is bone dry in most sections and has almost NO mud in the Basement. It is very fast, but be careful in the turns due to the dry conditions.

When we get lots of rain . . .

PLEASE, hike n bike around any really muddy sections. If you can ride the grass vs a mud hole try that for a few days till it does dry out. You can always do laps on the high ground, like Bobol to Broken Arrow or laps of the higher ground on the Front Side.

BASEMENT: OPEN, Dry.

TRAILER RUN: OPEN , It is finally dry enough to ride. You will notice people POACHED the wet trail and rutted the crap out of it. THIS IS WHY WE CLOSE IT AND USE THE MUD SHORT CUT. Enjoy the ruts and be sure to thank the knuckle heads who ripped it up.

ROLLER COASTER: MOSTLY OPEN, The 1st two hills are fine, then we blocked off the next 2 major hills. DO NOT RIDE THEM. The erosion is really bad!!! USE CAUTION on the rest of the sections.

Please do not ride when conditions are wet and muddy as it only damages the trail. Ride the pavement.

Click here to see salt creek water levels. The lower portion of the trail are flooded at 5.5'.

UPDATE: 8/30/08 by No-air Bud

MTB Links

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Outback Trail News

The Roller Coaster has 2 hills blocked off.

The Roller Coaster has parts of it blocked off, you only miss two of the worst hills. If you ride the other sections , use EXTREME CAUTION. You can take the EXIT @ the Sign Post and miss all of that section.

If you spot trees down or safety issues on the trail please add a note to these links. We do read them.

Ride w. care,

No-air Bud

Comments (2)

The Power of the Mountain Bike

We all use bicycles as a tool for recreation. But every once in a while we need to be reminded of the that the bicycle is the transportation vehicle for every man as it requires no fuel except what we put in our mouths. In some nations, access to a bicycle (even those things they sell at Wal-Mart) can be a life changing experience facilitates economic mobility for those who can afford them. Check out this article at http://cnn.com about Pedals For Progress.

Comments (0)

BMX Parking Lot available for Iron Horse/Outback Users

If you enter Imagination Glen from SR-149 parking is available in the Steel Wheels BMX parking lot. This lot is located on the north side of the Iron Horse Trail just next to the BMX track. The BMX double gate is being left open so all trail users can park OFF of the Iron Horse Trail. Please do not park along the Iron Horse Trail as there are Portage Park maintenance vehicles and Enstrom Storage clients who use this as a road way. There is a long single gate that leads into the soccer complex. If that gate is left open DO NOT PARK in the soccer complex. That single main gate is locked at night and you do not want to be locked in. Look at one of Webmaster Will's maps and this will all make perfect sense.

Enjoy the trails,

No-air Bud

Comments (0)

Palos MELTDOWN Returns this September 7th.

I was looking @ other sites in our area and noticed that Palos has Sept. 7th set for the 2nd Annual bike race on their turf. For full details go to www.cambr.org. There is also a link off of our site. As I scanned the article I noticed they will be capping the rider limits in all 3 categories. You will have to check the site for further details on occasion.

On a casual ride the trails do not seem like much. The way it was put together last year was pretty challenging. It had some good climbs, some tight twisty stuff too. I just hope they have gotten rid of the wasp nest we rode through last year. THAT was no fun. It's only an hour from Portage, so if you have no plans it's worth the drive. They did have LOTS [hundreds] of racers last year and it was their first ever race.

Hope to see you there,

No-Air Bud

Comments (0)

Midweek Mountain Bike Madness Starts on June 11th @6 PM, not 6:30 AM

The Outback Trail will be the venue of Midweek Mt. Bike Madness. Starting June 11th we'll have weekly rides on the Outback Trail. Meet in the gravel lot near the Information Kiosk. It's next to the OPEN /CLOSED trail-head sign. [the first right turn as you enter Imagination Glen]

We hope to have enough support to split into several groups for Beginners and Intermediate riders. If you are new to Mt biking be sure to :

1. Wear a HELMET !!! NO ONE RIDES with out a helmet. Eye protection helps a LOT, gloves are good too.

2. Bring water/sport drink. A water bottle will get you by, but CamelBak type hydration packs work the best.

3. Bring your bike. The commercial was funny, but trying to ride with no bike is not.

The response has been great. Some riders want to leave @ 18:00, others are ready by 18:30. We have had enough people for 2 groups, no worries. But it is 6 PM, not 6:30 AM.

See you on the trail,

No-air Bud

Comments (4)

NIMBA Events for 2008

NIMBA has set dates for 2 Weekly rides this season. For full information go to www.nimba-bike.org.

WEEKLY RIDES:

Wednesday: Potato Creek @ 6 pm

Thursday: Rum Village @ 6 pm

Comments (0)

2008 Time Trials : Set the Dates

The Outback Challenge Spring Time Trial will be Saturday May24th. If you want to make a weekend out of it in Portage, there is the Trail Run Xtreme 12K Run on Monday, Memorial Day. There are several campground nearby [Indiana State Park campground & Dunewood Campground @ the National Lakeshore] You will also find a couple of hotels off the exit of the Indiana Toll road. It would be a good way to pre-ride the Outback trail for the DINO race on Saturday June 14th.

The Outback Challenge Fall Time Trial wil be on Saturday September 27th.

We hope to host the Trips for Kids event again this season. No date has been set.

See ya this spring,

No-air Bud

Comments (0)

Pedalling Technique

One of the most important aspects of cycling is your pedalling technique. An efficient technique can add a significant amount of power to your pedaling. I found this excellent article discussing the different pedaling techniques. It's a great thing to practice on a stationary bike in preparation for spring.

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IMBA News

International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Newsfeed

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew Program Seeks New Team

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is searching for a full-time, professional two-person team position in the highly successful Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program.

Join IMBA's 'Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day' Celebration on Oct. 4

IMBA clubs and patrols around the globe will celebrate the fifth annual National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008.

National Public Lands Day Event Will Benefit Colorado's Monarch Crest Trail

More than 100 volunteers are expected to come together on the Monarch Crest trail, outside of Salida, CO, on Sept. 27, to celebrate National Public Lands Day.

Protect Mountain Biking in Colorado's National Forests

The United States Forest Service (USFS) has recently issued a draft rule for Colorado's national forests that weakens and removes existing protections for backcountry roadless areas.

Updates on Land Protection Legislation Packages in Key States

Key legislation effecting mountain biking.

Urge California Decision Makers to Adopt Bike-Friendly Land Protection Measures

Tell the governor and your state senator and representative you support land protection that allows bicycling to continue.

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IMBA World Summit Day 1: Trek President John Burke Wants to Transform Mountain Biking

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Top Events

9/27/08

Fall Time Trial

9:00am
Registration is Open

Upcoming Events

Event Start	Title
9/10/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
9/14/2008 9:00 AM	Town Run - DINO #7
9/17/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
9/18/2008 6:30 PM	Monthly Meeting
9/24/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
9/27/2008 10:00 AM	Fall Time Trial - 2008
10/1/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
10/8/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
10/15/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
10/16/2008 6:30 PM	Monthly Meeting
10/22/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness
10/29/2008 6:30 PM	Mid-Week MTB Madness