Austin, Texas: Maximizing the Mountain Biking Experience

Ryan Spates of the Texas Trail Doctors makes a tough line look easy on this typical Lake Georgetown rock section.
The Texas Bicycle Coalition and Austin Ridge Riders joined Nat and Rachael Lopes for an IMBA pose.
James Buratti, IMBA's adored webmaster and his dedicated brother Dewayne Buratti work on an optional rock drop next to the main trail tread. It was fun to ride up as well. Dewayne was the first rider to ride up the 3 1/2-foot high ledge.
This fallen tree was lined up perfectly beside the trail to offer an optional advanced line. All it needed was a rock armored entrance and exit and the clearing of the fall zone to make it rideable.
Rachael rides the circular rock slab nicknamed the 'mixing bowl' overlooking the lake.

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew met the Austin Ridge Riders at the Army Corps of Engineers' Lake Georgetown to teach a workshop on enhancing technical trail features. The trail is already besieged with grippy limestone rock providing a challenging ride full of ledges and bumpy terrain. The weekend's task was to take this natural rocky terrain and accentuate the most advanced lines within the trail. The group cleared the entrances to prime launching rocks and ledges to create a smoother acceleration into the advanced move.

A great bi-product of this trailwork is that it made the trail more accessible to the intermediate rider who might normally shy away from this technical terrain. The removal of some of the rocks in the trail tread created a smoother and more flowing a-line in the trail while simultaneously accentuating the advanced lines. This was a great pairing of maintenance techniques that will benefit a wide range of riders.