Santa Cruz

So, one sunny saturday in late Feb (or maybe it was early March) me and Jase found ourselves nipping down the road to Santa Cruz. Our mission was to pick up his newly ordered S-Works Stumpy and then christen it on the local trails known as "Mailboxes."

After an hour or so of suspension tuning we were ready to hit the trails. Jason on his new steed, me with new clip in pedals. The first trail we hit was closed for the winter. We gave it a try anyway and three miles in we were kicked out by the parky. Almost ready to call it a day as a bad job, we noticed some locals riding off into the woods across the road from where we parked. These trails - as it happens, were college grounds and therefore not closed. The day was saved!

I'm still not sure if these trails form part of the mailboxes or not, but they're a fun ride - though not for the nervous. The trails are tailored for downhill and the place is littered with uber fast 16 year old kids with full face helmets and burly downhill rigs. Not easy to dodge when you're trying to climb up the downhill trails, with new clip in's that are a bit too tight.

Needless to say, we had a few mishaps (mainly me falling sideways everytime I needed to stop) but a great ride all the same. Will deffinitely have to return once I've retired the hardtail. Yep, my trusty Orange P7 will soon be replaced. Whilst Jase was settling up on his purchase, I found my next. A Santa Cruz Nomad (X9 kit.) I'll be getting it very soon.... from Santa Cruz (its spiritual home.) I say spiritual because the frame's are made in the far east somewhere apparently.

See, people tell you the camera never lies. But in this case it did, because that trail felt a LOT steeper in real life. No, seriously...