# MTB: Camp Shepard Westfield MA



## MR. evil (Aug 19, 2010)

Got out for an easy play type ride with Rightcoaster and Randi last night. Jamie (Rightcoaster) showed us the new trail system being worked on at Camp Shepard. Only about 2 miles of trail has been cut with more to come. Trials are still really soft and need a lot of traffic to get them riding better. The cool thing is there are tons of large rock features along the trail, and once the main trail is cut they will start developing the play / free ride lines. 

After the quick tour of the trail and potential features we headed over the actual camp to play on some log rides and tent platforms. I was having some mechanical issues anytime I tried to wheelie drop, could have been bad if I was trying to drop anything large. The rear was really skipping anytime I put power down. I am at a loss because I just replaced the rear derailleur and hanger and they each only have two rides one them.  I also had the bike tuned after I installed the new stuff. The only good thing that came out of this was that I got to play a bit on Jamies EWR..such a nice bike!


Here is a short video that Randi took with her Phone of Jamie doing his thang



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVqcgGsrVTg


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## o3jeff (Aug 19, 2010)

It'd be pretty cool to be able to ride up onto a picnic table.


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## rueler (Aug 19, 2010)

MR. evil said:


> Got out for an easy play type ride with Rightcoaster and Randi last night. Jamie (Rightcoaster) showed us the new trail system being worked on at Camp Shepard. Only about 2 miles of trail has been cut with more to come. Trials are still really soft and need a lot of traffic to get them riding better. The cool thing is there are tons of large rock features along the trail, and once the main trail is cut they will start developing the play / free ride lines.
> 
> After the quick tour of the trail and potential features we headed over the actual camp to play on some log rides and tent platforms. I was having some mechanical issues anytime I tried to wheelie drop, could have been bad if I was trying to drop anything large. The rear was really skipping anytime I put power down. I am at a loss because I just replaced the rear derailleur and hanger and they each only have two rides one them.  I also had the bike tuned after I installed the new stuff. The only good thing that came out of this was that I got to play a bit on Jamies EWR..such a nice bike!
> 
> ...



That sucks about the skippage of the rear der. Did you have "new" cables installed?? If you did or didn't, that could be your problem...if they are new, they might have been stretching out (which I'm sure you know)...so, I'm thinking they're probably older cables...they could be all bound up with dirt/mud, general gunk...just a thought.


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## MR. evil (Aug 19, 2010)

rueler said:


> That sucks about the skippage of the rear der. Did you have "new" cables installed?? If you did or didn't, that could be your problem...if they are new, they might have been stretching out (which I'm sure you know)...so, I'm thinking they're probably older cables...they could be all bound up with dirt/mud, general gunk...just a thought.



Still have the old cables on the bike, but they were replaced this past winter. The bike is shifting fine, and seems ok under normal trail use. Its only when I put sudden torque to the pedals, like doing a wheelie drop from very slow speed, or quickly standing and pedaling to clean a sudden steep climb that everything slips.


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## MR. evil (Aug 19, 2010)

o3jeff said:


> It'd be pretty cool to be able to ride up onto a picnic table.



I think with some practice I could eventually get up on the table. Its the way he gets off the table thats really impressive.


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## wa-loaf (Aug 19, 2010)

MR. evil said:


> Still have the old cables on the bike, but they were replaced this past winter. The bike is shifting fine, and seems ok under normal trail use. Its only when I put sudden torque to the pedals, like doing a wheelie drop from very slow speed, or quickly standing and pedaling to clean a sudden steep climb that everything slips.



How old is your cassette? It sounds like it's worn out. Or mis-matched with your chain.


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## MR. evil (Aug 19, 2010)

wa-loaf said:


> How old is your cassette? It sounds like it's worn out. Or mis-matched with your chain.



Its onlt about one year old. When I had my bike tuned last week I asked him to check out the cassette and chain. I was told they were both fine and had a lot of life.


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## gorgonzola (Aug 19, 2010)

MR. evil said:


> I got to play a bit on Jamies EWR..such a nice bike!
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVqcgGsrVTg



PA's finest rocks! :beer:

you might check your cable housing, i was having some mystrey issues - new hanger, chain, casssette, etc. - and discovered a small hidden slit in the housing that would compress under load :-o drove me frickin crazy for weeks


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## skizilla (Aug 24, 2010)

*BuzzzKill*

Not to be Captain BuzzKill or anything but unless that is you or your organizations picnic table should you really be hopping up and down on it and doing tricks that to the unknowledgable eye are dangerous and lawsuit inviting.  I watch this video and cringe at the thought of the owners seeing you doing this and kicking  us off yet another piece of land because some of us think that someone elses property is essentially their own skate park.  Just saying this seems irresponsible to me.  Is this camp shepard the YMCA camp near stanley park.


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