tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post3420365730716610885..comments2024-02-06T10:31:24.491-07:00Comments on Watching the World Wake Up: Desert Wildflowers, S-Curves, And The Importance Of Being An Excellent CamperWatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-15560944372457167812009-05-01T19:53:00.000-06:002009-05-01T19:53:00.000-06:00WheelDancer- good points re: both camper-level-mat...WheelDancer- good points re: both camper-level-matching and counter-steering failure. In my case though, I usually experience ~1 corner-negotiation failure/vegetation encounter per year, and the reason is usually not skills failure, but rather space-shot-forgot-about-that-switchback-coming-up…<br /><br />KKris- your friend is right; a good winter bag changes your world. I don’t do much traditional winter camping (i.e. snow camping) but I do a fair amount of sub 20F desert camping in winter, and it always sucked until I got my current bag (REI Elements -25F)<br /><br />Fatty- you’ve always been very up-front wrt your camping, er, lame-ness, but that’s totally cool and admirable. It’s the Fakers who earn our (Excellent Campers) contempt, not the Earnest Lamers.<br /><br />KB- “If most mountain bikers don't 'counter-steer'… How do they get around the curve?”<br /><br />They lean. Which works just fine. But as speed builds to ~>20MPH, the increased angular momentum of the wheels makes the bike feel “heavy” in response to changes in lean angle, which means that changes in lean angle are slower, even sluggish. Which doesn’t matter, unless you’re trying to negotiate rapidly alternating curves at speed, and need to change lean angle quickly. Conscious counter-steering snaps the bike over- changing lean angle- faster.<br /><br />(To convince yourself of the angular momentum thing, take off your front wheel and hold it out in front of you while standing up. Tilt it from side to side- easy. Now repeat the exercise, but do it while the wheel is spinning fast. The wheel will feel “heavy”, and resistant to change in lean-angle.)Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-45462451461794499532009-05-01T17:48:00.000-06:002009-05-01T17:48:00.000-06:00If most mountain bikers don't 'counter-steer', the...If most mountain bikers don't 'counter-steer', then what do they do? How do they get around the curve? If I get around the curves without falling, does that mean that I counter-steer?<br /><br />I didn't know that paintbrush were hemi-parasitic. When they bloom here (months from now, I'm sure), I'll have to look at them more closely.<br /><br />I know exactly what you mean about camping. Once my husband and I get away from civilization, we can't bear to return, even for real showers or a restaurant meal. We settle right into the camping lifestyle.KBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-1827823474521475632009-05-01T10:37:00.000-06:002009-05-01T10:37:00.000-06:00I'm the very definition of lame camper.I'm the very definition of lame camper.Fattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07530571463639584785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-67837387870195188072009-05-01T09:49:00.000-06:002009-05-01T09:49:00.000-06:00I wouldn't say I'm an excellent camper, but if by ...I wouldn't say I'm an excellent camper, but if by excellent you mean "comfortable camping" then I guess it fits.<br /><br />I'm not a fan of winter camping because every time I've done it I was cold and spent the whole night awake shivering. But now I have a good winter sleeping bag and my friend assures me that changes everything. I'm still skeptical.<br /><br />It was a good trip and although my legs were missing some snap (due to RAWROD) and my enthusiasm for technical stunts was lower than normal, the riding was great and the company too. Thanks for taking care of most of the logistics.KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-91677080581264663402009-05-01T08:30:00.000-06:002009-05-01T08:30:00.000-06:00Awesome post! Being an excellent camper is very he...Awesome post! Being an excellent camper is very helpful but perhaps even more helpful is being matched with your camping partner. The Sweetie and I are both excellent campers which is very nice but I do know of couples that are pseudo-lame campers but since they are perfectly matched, it works. For them.<br /><br />I liked the graphic on counter-steering but you might have mentioned that when it's needed but not applied, that's when you don't make the turn and get a much closer view of the surrounding vegetation than you were hoping for. This performance is generally followed by a comment like, 'gee, I made the turn and THEN lost it'.WheelDancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15219805760534549996noreply@blogger.com