For my first entry of the #ridewithme posts, I am highlighting a riding area north of Austin. The riding area is called CTOR and it stands for Central Texas Off-Roaders. I first had the chance to ride this area in 2005 and have been back numerous times over the years. The trail is very physically demanding and is great for sharpening your technical riding skills. There are numerous loops that are marked but I recommend riding with someone who knows the area to make sure you get to hit all the good stuff.
Our ride consisted of doing all of loop 1 and the 1x extensions, tripod hill, loop 4, broke bike mountain, danger muffin, and several other short extensions.
Loop 1/1x: This is a very technical but fun piece of trail that winds through tight cedar trees and then gets into a section that has a lot of technical elevation and off-camber sections. This is one of my favorite loops that CTOR has to offer.
Loop 4: Fast trail that winds with a great flow through a large cedar sections. This loop is mostly four-wheeler wide but has tight corners that are fun to link together.
Broke Bike Mountain: A very technical goat trail that works up and down the side of a ridge. This was my favorite trail that we rode on the day.
Danger Muffin: Another off-camber rocky piece of single-track that has some really tight corners and fun hill climbs.
Visit ridector.com for more information, there are several more loops than what I rode on this day and encourage anyone in the area to give this place a try!
Bike Prep: Soften up the clickers so that your bike will soak up the rocks, run a little more air in your tires or make sure to have bibs so you don't get a pinch flat. The trails are marked so keep your eyes open for trail crossings and trail extensions.