Group ride in the Badlands

The Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association has weekly rides (MW) in the Badlands of Bakersfield… Tonight’s ride was 19.5 miles with total climbing of 1375 feet, nearly all of in the last third of the ride, much of it in one solid climb (Powderkeg North)..

Tonight there were three other singlespeeds, including Marcel on her brand new Motobecane SS. Unfortunately, it comes stock with an ungodly gear (something like a 44×18), so she wasn’t able to do much of the singletrack with the group, wisely choosing to stick to the pavement whenever possible. Tim was out on his Canondale SS, and  I don’t remember what the 4th ss was..

Badland riding requires the hopping of numerous fences..

Tim approaches the top of Powderkeg. This is the easy part,  after having climbed up the near vertical wall of the canyon just beyond the lower riders..

Two ridges converge

One last regroup

Tim rides a ridge above the trail