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Photo by Jeovany Alvarado
At a recent Golden Saddle Cyclery and Salsa Campout in Los Angeles, things got a lil loose after the campfire drinking began. Which is when Ty decided to have a bit of fun. Rubber Side Up ain’t always about crashin’, somethings it’s just about thrashin’, doing dumb things on a bike and taking a chance. Not that Ty wouldn’t have cleared this fire pit…
Today Barry and I went on a “ride.” We definitely pedaled our bikes, but then we portaged them up and down a few canyons. Once we got to the trail, Barry had a few rough moments. Overcooked corners, slick and sandy descents have claimed us all from time to time. This photo in particular captures that moment of stoke when you realize all is well, save for a little dirt (and a broken iPhone.)
When it’s dusty, loose and hot, it’s easy to overcook those corners. Thanks for the laughs, Kyle!
Summer is in full swing and that means lots of early morning and late evening riding, unless of course you enjoy getting sunburnt and dehydrated. Sniping photos like this are a lot of fun, especially when it’s of a ripping whip.
#RubberSideUp
Fred down! Fred down! Mulholland claims another victim.
Photo by Sean Talkington
Bad lines, good times. Today, Ty took Sean and me up this rain canyon in the Angeles Forest. After Ty rode the entire thing with ease, it was my turn – Sean opted out – so he stood back and watched me have at it.
This one of those moments where you say “that’s a bad place to plant my front wheel”, as your wheel slides out and you go over the bars.
#RubberSideUp
This Rubber Side Up is brought to you by Dylan and my friends at the Great Escape. I miss Diablo, camping and Erik aka Hellhommus. I can’t wait to get back on the road with that dude.
Front flip, meet possible cross wind, or any other number of factors that could come into play while doing a 75′ front flip during Rampage. Yeeeesh!
Photo by Jim Hicks
I think it’s safe to say, everyone who races cross wants to be able to do this. It shaves seconds off any gap the racer in front of you might have and puts more time between you and the racers behind.
Bunnyhopping barriers isn’t easy by any means, especially when they’re set at USAC’s max height of 40cm and on an uphill, but at yesterday’s race, I put all my skills learned from riding trails on my cross bike, MTB shredding and yes, the old days of FGFS to the test and hopped them every lap of the 50 minute B race. Here’s another angle.
Now that I’ve got my rhythm, I’m feeling even more confident and can’t wait to apply this useful skill to future races…
Getting rad has its price, especially on a MTB and one of the ways to learn you and your bikes limitations is to fall. Here in Texas, that usually means sharp limestone, or brittle, dry mesquite trees are waiting for you on the ground.
One pointer I always try to keep in mind is to always ride with a clean bottle. That just means, no hydration mix or juice. Having a bottle with mix and a bottle with just plain water gives you a means to wash a fresh wound out immediately, rather than waiting to get back to the car or your home.
Wash the wound throughly. Remove any rocks, sand, debris and let it dry. Cover it if you can or just let the air dry it out. Sometimes, even putting sunblock on a fresh wound will sterilize it even more – assuming there’s alcohol in it. Otherwise, carry a small first aid kit in your pack.
Photo by Jack Thurston
As a photographer, I rarely find myself in front of the camera. In this case, I didn’t even know Jack was shooting a photo, I was just ripping and having a blast. Who says you need a 45c tire to shred gravel? Run what you brung.
The Eroica Britannia was a lot of fun. Also, for those who wonder how I carry a camera on rides…
Oh man! I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there before. Thanks for this Rubber Side Up photo Ty! Check out a GIF of this crash below.
Photo by Kyle Kelley
Last Friday, after posting Tom Robertson’s photo, I wanted to kick myself. There should be a Rubber Side Up post each week. The easiest way to select them would be to encourage you to tag #TheRadavist on your photos via Instagram, but I would encourage you to take the time to shoot a new photo, not just tag all your old shots. Any bike is cool, just try to make it unique.
Or. If you have photos in a hoard drive, send them over…
You can only send YOUR photos or photos YOUR friends shot of YOU. I need a photographer’s name and any appropriate links. If you don’t follow those two rules, I’ll just delete the email. Don’t worry, if you send one over, I saw it, no need to follow up!
Photo by Tom Robertson
Thanks for sharing, Jeff. Rubber side up!
Photo by Sean Talkington
People ask me, “what does rubber side up mean?” – it means, you’ve gotta fall, or at least come close to it, to learn how to control your bike. Sometimes, that means looping out from a wheelie, or cooking a corner well done…
Such a good photo Sean!
