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One of my favorite trails in Los Angeles recently became the backdrop to a photoshoot for a brand that I’m very excited about. Ringtail is a new company, started by Sean Talkington from Team Dream and Kyle Kelley from Golden Saddle Cyclery. Their intent is to make great fitting, practical cycling apparel and accessories in the USA. As of now, everything is made in the Los Angeles area, which is an added plus for the dudes, seeing as though they like being a part in the production process.
Wet and Wild On Mt Lowe
Photos and words by Sean Talkington
There is indeed a stigma attached to Southern California’s weather. Outsiders envision year round palm trees, 80’s style picturesque sunsets, flip-flop sandles, tank tops and oceans of suntan oil being slathered on daily. For the most part that assumption is absolutely true. We have it pretty good! So good in fact that this place will make you soft. Send me your toughest east coast transplant wearing his/her shorts in negative degree weather and put them in a LA’s treacherous “low 50’s” for a few years and I’ll send that person back to you in some Ugg Boots, “Juicy” sweatpants, Dior sunglasses, a fashionable parka and a tiny chihuahua that fits in a purse…because that’s how we do in this city!
With the advent of the 1x drivetrain, be it SRAM (who arguably brought the technology to the cycling industry), Race Face, Wolf Tooth or the hundreds of other options, the ‘cross bike lost a bit of its versatility, when compared to having a 34t inner ring. For racing, a 40t front and 11-28t cassette may be fine, but add in a substantial amount of climbing, on dirt roads exceeding 12%, for miles, and you’ll find yourself a bit “knackered” as our British comrades say.
Granted, the last time I did this ride in Los Angeles, it was during sunset. The views were spectacular but I certainly missed a lot riding in the dark. What was originally going to be a scouting ride for the Mudfoot Dirty Hundo, became a slow and steady march to the top of Mt. Lowe.
We rode from Silverlake for 15 miles or so, then hit Cheney trail, the beginning of Mt. Lowe. It was hot, steep and after close to 10 miles, we had climbed 4,000′. Henry was on a road bike with 28c tires, the rest of us, on cross bikes. I don’t think any of us were really feeling all that well that day.
Good thing the views made up for it and the Cokes at Red Box. We totaled 54 miles and 5,400′ of climbing.
Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4 / Portra 400
The guys from Ritte posted up a little video of them riding their favorite trails in Santa Monica. #LASucksForCycling
Check it out as Cannondale’s team gets together for the first time in the season to discuss brakes, bikes and the new equipment for 2013.
