Out and back

Sunday morning, I woke up feeling like I got run over by a truck...*probably* had something to do with the ride from the day before. It wasn't crazy humid out in the morning (for a change), so I got out for a spin at Kanata Lakes. Sadly, it was the first time this year that I've ridden there, and I was greeted by some surprises:

 This is on the trail from Goulbourn Forced Side Road. A little fence hopping got me closer to the trails.

This is what the trailhead looks like now...orange fencing and a wooden stake.

I had a pretty awesome ride, doing an out and back of Outback. Despite just my first time this year at Kanata Lakes, I was riding pretty smooth with just a few dabs here and there. Outback is my favourite trail to ride...it challenges me every time I ride it and is a ton of fun. Some of my confidence on the trail was inspired in part by my new front tire, a Bontrager XDX. But the best part of this thing was the size of it....2.4 inches of wide tractor tire goodness.

Bontrager XDX tubeless.

 That's right, 2.4 inches of wide ass rubber goodness.

 Crappy picture intended to: a) demonstrate the sheer girth of this tire (failed) and b) demonstrate the tread pattern (failed). I guess I could have cropped the pic to better highlight the tread patten, but in the same amount of time I'll create a link to the Bontrager site instead.

It's hard to give a fair review of this tire after just one ride, especially considering it was bone dry out. Here's what it did well:
-roll over ANYTHING in it's path
-grip through corners
-inspire confidence

What it did not do well:
-track well at slow speed...the tire would pick its own path off rocks and roots.

I had it pumped up to around 24psi, and I feel that it could have been a touch lower to take advantage of its size. On another note, I have used 2.2 inch versions of this tire, front and rear, but wasn't crazy about it as a rear tire. It didn't grip as well as other tires on slick rocky sections. I've currently got a Kenda Nevegal 2.1 on the rear right now, which seems to handle all situations like a champ.

And before I sign off, one last pic...

The tour might be over now, but I've got my own little podium girl.