There was a thread not long ago on MTBR attempting to categorize the trails in Phoenix.     PaulB put the final list at the top of the thread.   Differences of opinion abound like a pack of drunk philosophy majors throwing down with some wannabe alpha-geek Jews   on break from the Yeshiva, but its a damn fine list.

Pretty much everything black I can ride it all, more often than not without spills or bloodshed, and have a mighty fine time doing it.   I’ve hit this level over the last 2 years as riding the Heckler has taken me up a notch.   Its hard to separate the rider from the bike’s geometry, suspension, travel, thru axle, and tire width.   A well-suited utensil has enabled me to learn technique with some margin for error, and build confidence while building muscle memory.   I know now its the rider first, I rode up 24th to Telegraph and back down last week with a friend riding a hard-tail 26 incher.   I can do better on the Blur or the Hei Hei than 2 yrs ago, but see no real point in trying.   Its too much fun when you have have the right $3k tool for the challenge, and the help from the bike mixed with confidence in my skills puts me in a very very happy place.

Double blacks are a different story.   They are fun to attempt, and fun to have ridden, but they mostly make me shit my pants and ball up in fear leading up to doing them, and shrivel up immediately afterewards when the fear escapes from the little lead-lined box I stick it in during the actual move.

This vid (courtesy of jean-louey) was from last weekend, my first time riding Viejo down the south face of South Mountain.   Right after Lynette finishes her run, you can see me turn purposely up the hill for my bike.   It was a puzzle to unlock with nerve and skill.   I was calm for the attempt, and after it was over my pulse pounded in my head and I had a wave of euphoria, then I promptly ate shit twice on far easier moves and wallowed through the rest of the descent as all that angst rushed out of me like air out of a balloon.   Except for where I got a switchback further down none of the rest of our group did, and the pattern repeated itself as I bailed staring down the toothy slot the switchback led into.

Sometimes I wonder if stuff like this is worth riding, given the emotional rollercoaster is causes.   Technical riding is all about progression, so it becomes hardwired to try to take the next step and the next step and the next.   But lots of it is not worth trying, the penalty for failure not worth the rush.   The trick is finding that sweet spot where skill and fun and challenge come together without injury.   Staring down some of these moves, I think I will never get them, but I thought that about the Spine and 24th Street at first.   Last week I was on the   rock fin in the hardest s-curve on 24th and there was an offleash yip dog right in the step-down I needed to take.   No problem, I put out my foot, avoided the dog, said hey to the hiker, and finished my ride.   It was easy, but it wasn’t a year ago, and it kinda wasn’t fun then, but it has become so.   I can only hope that these next hard moves will also become so with practice.   If not, what is the point?   I must trust my progression.