I did a little over 10 miles on the Upper SART from Hidden Valley Wildlife. It was pretty decent ride but it kicked my ass as I am out of shape and not sure of techniques on the terrain. It is fairly flat with a couple of decent ups and downs.

One of the things that was really hurting me (besides that I'm out of shape) was that on most of the really good descents I got panicked because there was dirt on the road at the lowest spot (and in the middle of turns) right before the climb began so I would slow down and kill my momentum. Then I would have to shift into the lower gears and tired myself out for each climb. By the time I came to the end of the road on my return there is a long steady climb and I thought I would die...lol. So I guess I need to know how "panicked" I should be about going through dirt on the trail? I'm riding a Rockhopper with 1.95 slick/commuter tires. They feel good on the pavement but they are not so steady in the dirt. And I'm not sure what to expect when the tires go from asphalt to dirt at a high speed on turns. Maybe everything would be fine, but I also didn't want to fall in that situation either.

I also need to figure out the appropriate amount of water/supplies to bring with me, as I was carrying a big backpack that easily added 10 pounds. I noticed most people had very little on the trail.

The bike is still needing to be looked at too. I noticed the rear hub appears to have play and you can see it move when the brake is applied...even at a stop. Also, the front brake was dragging a bit, something I hadn't had issues with before this ride.

The good news: I am wanting to ride again and get in better shape. Also, the ESI Chunky Grips I just purchased were extremely comfortable. I was worried about my hands getting sore, but they were fine. My butt on the otherhand....lol