Frankenstein | Hydrocut, Kitchener, Ontario | MTB

My annual reminder that I'm not as fit as I was before haha. Love this trail, always a good XC hammer regardless of who you're with. At the time of recording this was at #9/~980 for the year on an unmentionable ride sharing app. Given that I had most of the summer off that's not too shabby! :)
Trailforks: www.trailforks...
Nine Point Eight: www.9point8.ca
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[@djgolf3256]

My local trails 😊 so cool that you used to ride here. If you ever come back for a visit I'd love to go for a ride 🤙

[@powdertramps]

Took at nice digger on my everyday trails this week and busted my shoulder up pretty good. Doctor says I'm off the bike for 4-6 weeks. Itll be trail work and KZbin videos for this guy. Hope your shoulder is healing up well and you keep blessing us with backlogged videos. Lord knows I'm gonna need em.

[@DaleStone]

Ahhh man, no fun! All I can tell you is that it will go by a lot faster than you BC expect right now...

[@danhull4376]

This brings up some nostalgia. And also makes me extremely grateful that I moved from Hamilton to BC 7 years ago.

[@AndreLaurentMTB]

Good trail system. In the top 15. Would revisit any time since we had so much fun. Needs some more, longer rocks n root gardens. Stress less, ride more!

[@shellderp]

insane endurance, this trail takes me over 20 minutes!

[@dank3823]

Fun trail. Picking up right where you left off.... shredding. 🤟

[@maritimeshreds2049]

That is a sweet trail. It reminds me of the trails at Brookvale PEI. Nothing but nice dirt.

[@DaleStone]

Yeah I've heard Hydrocut is somewhat similar terrain to PEI, would be cool to go check it out sometime!

[@ChristopherGrant2003]

Thanks for posting all your videos! I'm new to the HC this year and Frankenstein is my favourite trail. Inspirational to see how fast it can be done. :-) Your Revolver is an FS as well I assume? I have a Cannondale Trail 4 hardtail, but plan on getting a full-suspension next year when bikes are available again. The question comes down to Trail vs. XC. If you could have only one for the Hydrocut, which would it be? And would you take your Revolver off things like the Godzilla drop? PS. One of your other videos asks about whether viewers like commentary. Personally I think you do a great job of annotating when there's something interesting (like whether a jump was worth it), but letting the sounds of the suspension come through at other times. Is your camera on a chest strap?

[@DaleStone]

Glad you're enjoying them! Frankenstein is a great trail for sure, one of the best of the system. For Hydrocut specifically, you will never need anything more than an XC race bike. I would happily send things twice as big as the Godzilla drop on the Revolver without issue. If you plan on riding other trail systems (who am I kidding, of course you are!), then a trail bike makes more sense (Hilton, Twin Ponds, etc). This video was filmed using a gimbal on a chest strap!

[@ChristopherGrant2003]

@@DaleStone Definitely other trail systems. Ie. the Twin Ponds blacks seem arduous on a hardtail. A Trail bike does seem like the sure bet. Regarding the gimbal, it works super well in your videos. There was a giant log on Parabola (or nearby) that seemed to toss the camera, but otherwise things look deceptively smooth. :-)

[@DaleStone]

I've moved to a helmet mounted setup for my newer videos so that I don't have to deal with the gimbal's limitations. It also makes it look rougher, and when I headbang, you headbang...haha.

[@RthereNEusernames]

So I rode this trail today for the first time, ate shit on the drop at the 8:33 mark and jammed my wrist pretty good lol. Came down with my back wheel first, so that would mean I probably leaned back too far or pulled up as I went over most likely? FeelsEmbarrassedMan.

[@DaleStone]

Damn! Honestly could be any number off things. Suspension setup, weight too far in any direction, landed on a loose rock, etc. Time to go back and session it!

[@RthereNEusernames]

@@DaleStone I think I pulled up and when I landed I was veering off to the left toward that first tree, so I braked and lost control (due to being on one wheel) and crashed :/ But you're right, I told my buddy I was riding with that I was gonna hit it again but I had to call it from there. Tried to ride The Bride but wrist was too weak to even grip my handle D: Definitely was a disappointing ride today lol. Hopefully I'm rested enough for later in the week!

[@DaleStone]

One thing most Ontario riders are notably bad at is brake control, and for good reason. 99% of the time if you need to stop quickly you can grab a ton of brake and skid to safety. But often this instinct backfires as releasing the brakes can definitely save you in a lot of situations! It's a hard thing to learn but extremely valuable. I struggled tons with brake control when I moved out west (and had a big crash as a result) and had to learn quickly.

[@RthereNEusernames]

@@DaleStone Is that a more situational thing then? How do I know when not to brake? lol, I feel like if I didn't, the result may have also been a crash into a tree. Live and learn!

[@DaleStone]

Yeah extremely situational. Target fixation + instinct to lock up the brakes = bad outcomes when riding steep or fast trails, generally. Look for safety and that's where you will end up!

[@darrinkulyk9560]

Awesome Camera Keep It 😁 Excellent Vid 😎

[@splitsman]

Incredible. I think a nice addition to your videos would be to have a live speedometer and elevation meter on one of the corners of the video.

[@DaleStone]

Appreciate the suggestion! Those two metrics are very difficult to get an accurate reading of when on the trail, especially elevation. I'll see what I can do!

[@davidkline4372]

That and a map, maybe. There used to be a cool app that you could replay your ride looking at a map at about 6x the speed. Sadly, gone now.

[@DaleStone]

Relive.cc? Still active!

[@bikeninja956]

insane flow....nice.

[@DaleStone]

Thank you!

[@dcoolmkia]

Hey Dale. Nice vid man. Do you wear a microphone? And what wind filter do you use for your gopro?

[@DaleStone]

No mic, just a foam housing!

[@dcoolmkia]

@@DaleStone thanks bro. Gonna hit the Hydrocut next weekend. Is your camera upside down?

[@DaleStone]

It is!

[@churnobley]

Great video! I mostly ride the Hydrocut and some other trails around KW, I'm having a seriously hard time picking between a YT IZZO or Jeffsy, based on your experience would the Jeffsy be too much bike? (29er full sus with 150mm front and back). I currently ride an old 26" hard tail and am new to modern bikes. would love to hear your thoughts.

[@DaleStone]

If you're planning on riding Blue Mountain or taking a trip out West then that's a good amount of travel, otherwise it's definitely too much bike for the KW area. I'd aim for something around the 120-130 range myself. I'd also caution you against direct to consumer brands as when the bike breaks (as all bikes do eventually break), it could definitely be a bit of a time consuming faff to get everything sorted.

[@churnobley]

@@DaleStone Thanks for the reply! Yeah the Izzo is 130/130, seems more appropriate. Unfortunately due to COVID and supply issues, most of the local bike shops are empty so DTC seemed like a decent option.

[@fcbotieno]

@@churnobley which bike did you get?

[@churnobley]

@@fcbotieno Ended up changing my mind on the YT's and went to a local shop to order a Santa Cruz tallboy instead... but they happened to have a Hightower C S build in the showroom......so I got that lol...

[@fcbotieno]

@@churnobley wicked!

[@mbiraside]

Nice trail and vieeo. I like the sound of that trail.

[@slrtgaln4065]

Awesome upload m8. I'm looking to get into this sport but don't have a suitable bike. Do you have any recommendations on a good affordable bike that would be sufficient for exactly these types of trails? I'm in my early 30's and fit, if that makes any difference. I looked up your bike but its nowhere near what I can afford haha, that's a Norco right? Thanks!

[@DaleStone]

Yeah this is a Norco Revolver. My budget recommendation for a full suspension trail bike (especially in Ontario, like this video) is always a Norco Fluid FS. One of the best value bikes around, and three different spec tiers to closer fit your budget.

[@sherkhet]

slrtga ln checkout canyon bikes I just got one on clearance; amazing bikes.

[@DaleStone]

Questionable support if you are in Canada it seems.

[@vitamind2382]

I did frankestein, its not technicaly hard, its just physically hard. You shouldnt start it if your tired when you get there

[@peiter8467]

hey dale, love your vids! It´s probably been asked already, but could you tell me what bell you have on your bike? Maybe you have a link. Peter

[@DaleStone]

I've actually never been asked that before! And the funniest part is I don't even know, haha. I won it as a prize through work and thought it would be hilarious to install onto the enduro bike. Didn't expect it to stick around even.

[@peiter8467]

@@DaleStone oh okay! Ill try to find it online and if i do ill tell you!

[@jjrh329]

👍

[@thegoldendoge2441]

Would you recommend this for beginners like me?

[@DaleStone]

Don't see why not, give it a go!

[@thegoldendoge2441]

Dale Stone thanks I never done a trail like one of these so I was just asking

[@neocrashburn]

Do you use tire inserts?

[@DaleStone]

Rear only!

[@connorarmstrong1308]

Do you know any good trails around Oakville

[@ForAFewDollarsMore9]

Kelso in Milton I believe

[@connorarmstrong1308]

I mean more jumpy stuff

[@connorarmstrong1308]

I work at kelso

[@DaleStone]

I've seen a few of my friends ride Bronte Creek (which is Oakville/Burlington?), but I haven't heard that it's anything special. I'd recommend making a quick drive to Hilton Falls (if you crave tech) or Waterdown (if you crave cardio). Both are truly amazing spots.

[@connorarmstrong1308]

@@DaleStone thanks

[@ProjectBenjamin]

Any reason why this trail is rated Black diamond?

[@DaleStone]

Not a good one I can think of. Used to be a double black!

[@ProjectBenjamin]

@@DaleStone looks easy to be a black, pretty awesome tho. I'll definitely be visiting this trail next summer.

[@DaleStone]

It's definitely an IMBA blue, or even green... Though Hydrocut avoids a standardized rating system in favour of a relative one for this system only.

[@davidkline4372]

You need a little musical accompaniment to this vid... kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJa5hWhqhNh1o5Y About the same tempo as your riding. That was fun!

[@jasontheyu]

are you ever coming back to bc

[@DaleStone]

Absolutely, I live in BC! Just have to recover from surgery before I can start filming proper videos again.

[@amc5926]

1.4 miles? not really XC in my book...but love the trail. and riding up fast on someone and then basically yelling at them to move is a real dick move. you probably ruined his ride and maybe that was his first time too on that trail??? be nice.

[@DaleStone]

This is one of, if not the most popular XC spots in the country! haha Everyone rides at different speeds, and it's not fair for everyone to need to match the slowest rider. This was a completely fair pass and as polite as possible. 🙂